Welcome To Hogwarts
by DudeIRock
Summary: The fans who like this story have seemed to really like this story. Over the years it has gone through a lot of editing, and is finally in the last stage of editing. Hopefully you enjoy the story of the beautiful Addie White and her first year at Hogwarts
1. A New Beginning

Disclaimer-None of the characters in here belong to me they all belong to J.K Rowling her publishing company and what-not….don't sue me.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story has gone through A LOT of revisions. This is the final one. I am slowly switching the story from first person to third person. Bare with me while I make the switch, and feel free to point out any places I missed when converting it.

"Mom_ why_ couldn't I ride the train with all the other kids?" Addie asked as her carriage pulled into the shadow of the dark castle before them; a castle she had only ever seen in her dreams.

"Because dear," Her mother replied, opening the carriage door, "This is an important event. Addie White is going to Hogwarts. I don't want you to be seen until you're walking into the Great Hall to put on that tattered old hat."

Of course, Addie was used to her mother's affinity for spectacle. She was Addie White, daughter of Sherri White, the most famous model _Witch Weekly_ had produced in a century. Sherri White had graced the cover of every major magazine since she first graduated from Hogwarts. She had dated every Quidditch player that had ever dominated the field, but most importantly, when Addie was born Sherri, in her infinite wisdom, had kept her daughter hidden from the public eye until that very day.

It was a simple spell that had kept Addie out of the spot light. She only attended small social gatherings with her mother, and those whom she had met there were magically bound to not relay any personal information. Addie had lived a relatively normal life. If a reporter happened to see her with her mother at a Quidditch game or party they would soon find, as they eagerly pulled out their quills to write the editorial of a lifetime, that they were unable to put the words to a page. They would find that the words would fade as quickly as the pen touched paper.

Because of the usefulness of this spell, Addie had not, as many assumed, been hidden away in the bowels of the White estate. She had lived a relatively normal life, and had been spotted many times. The stories just remained untold.

Many wondered why Sherri, a woman so fond of media attention, would hide her daughter in this way. At the time of Addie's birth, the wizarding world was at a standstill as Lord Voldemort had only recently been stripped of his power. The media wished to provide the world with a breath of fresh air, a mysterious, yet altogether calming story that would keep readers playfully interested and provide with headline news as the wizarding world attempted a return to normalcy. Addie provided just that scape-goat. _Prophet_ editors quickly caught on to the mysterious pregnancy of Sherri White. The story remained a staple in every tabloid. Paparazzi hounded Sherri, asking her question after question and only received two small pieces of information: It was a girl, and her name was Addie. Even Addie herself was kept in the dark about several crucial details surrounding her birth, namely, the identity of her father, who she had long ago decided was a month-long affair gone wrong, and no more. Before her mother had released her given name, the media had given Addie a name of their own, "The Sherri White Scandal".

The latest headlines, however, read a bit differently: _Sherri White retires after 17 long years of modeling, Will her daughter follow the in her footsteps?_ Little did they know that Sherri had not, in fact, retired to give her daughter a normal life, but instead had plunged her daughter into the danger that came with having a parent as an active member of the Order of the Phoenix.

She was expected to be pretty, glamorous, and to exert the same amount of cool sexual energy that her was famous for embodying. As she stepped out of her mother's carriage the ground was springy and fresh. The air hit her as she took in her first few breaths of Hogwarts. It was the scent of evergreens and opportunity, and she knew that her life, from that moment on, would never be the same.

"If I'm found out," Sherri had told her, "I will always know that my daughter will be safe at Hogwarts."

It had been due to years of dedicated service that had prompted Dumbledore to bend otherwise immovable regulations regarding admittance to Hogwarts School.

Addie had been coached by her mother ever since her acceptance to Hogwarts as to who she should and should not make friends with. She had been told not to worry. She had been told that there were students at Hogwarts whom she could trust. She had been reminded of Harry Potter.

Addie took a moment to take all of these things and file them away appropriately in her mind before making her first moves toward the school. The huge doors opened and a figure appeared in the doorway. A tall, thin woman, with cat-eyed spectacles and her hair pulled back into a tight bun. Her lips were pursed and Addie immediately sensed that this woman, whoever she may be, was not one to tolerate the playful rule-breaking that comes with adolescence.

Next to her was a girl who seemed to be about Addie's age. The part of her that was grounded in her mother's superficiality immediately took in the girl's bushy hair and insecure stance. She took in the sloppy way that the girl's clothes were put together and shuddered. She was her mother's daughter.

The resemblance between Addie and her mother extended the bounds of family resemblance. They had the same nose, same face, same body, same skin tone, and Addie sometimes felt that she was a mere copy of someone who had existed before; that perhaps she was not her own person at all.

The only piece of Addie that she felt was truly her own, untouched by her mother's influence, were her eyes. Unlike the pale blue of her mother's eyes, Addie's were a deep grey. She knew they must have come from her father, as the White family was notorious for the piercing blue eyes that had passed down from generation to generation until Addie. She had spent hours as a child watching the men who came in and out of her house, hoping that one of them would have her round grey eyes. She was proud of the independence they gave her. When she looked at her own eyes she was reminded that she was not just a copy of her more accomplished mother, but her own person, with her own life to live.

"Professor!" Sherri smiled, tossing her hair behind her and allowing the moonlight to gleam off her nails, "It's been so long!"

"Hello, Sherri, it certainly has been, I'm sorry to say, much too long," Her voice was as strict as her demeanor, but her sincerity was clear.

"Well I trust you'll keep my daughter out of harms way?" Sherri laughed, but once again sincerity peered through her speech.

"You know quite well that no harm could come to Miss White as long as she is safe within Hogwarts grounds," The woman replied with warmth.

"Well I'll be on my way then," Sherri turned to her daughter, "Oh one last thing!"

She lowered her voice just above a whisper, "Remember what I told you Addie, if you make friends with one person this year, make sure that person is Harry Potter."

"I'll remember," Addie replied, and watched her mother's silhouette fade into the darkness as her heels clicked softer and softer down the path.

"Well, Miss White, Welcome to Hogwarts!" The woman said, "I am Professor McGonagall, Transfiguration teacher here at Hogwarts, and head of the Gryffindor house."

"Addie White," She answered vaguely, still watching her mother's carriage disappear into the darkness, and letting her new sense of freedom sink in, "Pleasure to meet you."

"This is Hermione Granger," Professor McGonagall pointed to the bushy haired girl to her right. "I've chosen her to be your tour guide as you get assimilated to your new life here at Hogwarts, Miss Granger has proven throughout her five years to not only be an exceptional student, but moreover a responsible one. I hope to see that you prove to have the same merits as Miss Granger."

"Hello!" The girl smiled, blushing slightly after such lavish praise. "Let's get started then. We'll—er—we'll see you inside, I suppose."

Professor McGonagall nodded, and allowed a small smile before leaving the two girls on her own.

Hermione and Addie paused for a moment. A silence followed as the two girls took in how different they truly were. Hermione was struck, as were most, by Addie's beauty even in the dim light of the moon, and instinctively stepped backward as to avoid comparison. The jealousy that is almost immediate when two so different girls meet sprang hot in both of them. Addie was convinced that this Hermione, so clearly top of her class, already thought less of her, a vice that came with the intellectual insecurities of a pretty girl, and Hermione was convinced that Addie, so clearly beautiful and vivacious, already thought less of her, a vice that came with the physical insecurities of a smart girl.

After Hermione had regained control, she motioned for the two of them to step through the threshold and gave Addie her first glance of the Hogwarts interior.

Growing up, Addie had been accustomed to lavish surroundings. Pureblood parties, Quidditch games, and ministry events had marked her social life, but she had never seen a place so grand.

"Well—you know the most remarkable thing about this place is that it's quite difficult to navigate. You see, I read in _Hogwarts, A History_ that the place was specifically designed so that tours were useless. It really is quite fascinating," She spoke quickly and rang her hands nervously. "I could give you a brief history of the building, if you'd like, but showing you around will hardly do you any good. The only thing that stays constant is your common room, and unless you're in Gryffindor I won't even know where that is."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, the staircases shift, and some doors aren't really doors at all, they're just… pretending," She answered quickly. Addie, clearly confused, decided it was best for the two girls to part ways. She didn't like to have her hand held. She preferred a level of independence, even in new experiences.

"Right…" She replied, "I suppose it's just one of those, figure it out on your own, sort of things?"

"Precisely," Hermione allowed herself a small smile, "Well…I suppose I _can_ take you to the Great Hall, that usually stays put."

"Sounds lovely," Addie said, flashing her most charming smile.

Hermione kept herself a few paces in front of Addie at all times, and indiscriminately pointed at various paintings and rooms that she could give a bit of history about. Addie followed along behind her, taking in very little of what Hermione said, and trying desperately to remember the things around her only to realize that if what Hermione said was true, any attempt at orienting herself was futile.

The two stopped in front of two large doors where they were once again joined by Professor McGonagall who seemed happy to see that the two girls had gotten along.

"Well," McGonagall said, "Miss Granger I believe it's time you get inside, Miss White, you will wait out here until you are called. We're not sorting you with the first years today. You will be sorted directly afterward."

"Oh, alright, that's a relief I suppose," She replied, watching as Professor McGonagall and Hermione Granger slipped into the Great Hall without a word, leaving Addie alone with the task ahead of her looming over her. She waited for a few moments, leaning up against one of the walls and wondering if the students had already crowded inside the hall or if they were only just arriving. She saw a large crowd of students her age and younger pass by, but none of them saw her. She had successfully hidden herself behind a large statue of a knight on back of a Hippogriff and peered out only when she knew it was safe. She wanted these last few moments for herself. The spell that had bound the world to secrecy could only be broken in two ways: an open acceptance of public life, and reaching the age of sixteen. Since Addie was nearly sixteen already, here mother had decided, in true White fashion, to break the curse themselves by enrolling Addie in Hogwards. Her mother, the only woman capable of speaking openly, had fed the story to the _Prophet_ weeks before in an attempt to cushion what was sure to be a media frenzy as soon as the spell was broken. Even as she stood, hidden from the students only a few feet away from her, she could hear her name whispered through the crowd.

_Great, _She thought, _now I'm the school celebrity._

_The Daily Prophet_ had been reporting about it for weeks, delighted at some news that they weren't magically bound from reporting and in an attempt to cover up the imminent rise of Lord Voldemort. Addie had been anticipating, since her mother first told her that she was to attend Hogwarts, that as soon as she stepped into the Great Hall, breaking the curse and allowing herself to be photographed that the _Prophet_ would consist of only three stories: Dumbledore's descent into insanity, Harry Potter's instability, and anything at all to do with Addie White.

She waited outside the doors long after the students had all gathered inside and as she did she could hear the mutterings of students, and house names being shouted throughout the hall. Suddenly, there was silence, and Addie stepped out from behind the statue and prepared herself. The silence could only indicate that the first years had been sorted, and soon it would be her turn.

A skinny, hunched man opened the doors and she could hear all the students turning in their chairs to look at her. She felt as though something had lifted, and she knew that the spell had been broken. She could feel her insecurities rising, and then she looked at the crowd. The part of Addie, the overwhelming part of her, that was her mother's daughter, took over in that moment. Insecurity melted and she leaned back comfortably on her heels and regained her usual swagger. She was Addie White. There was not a person in the entire Great Hall whose eyes weren't on her. She was young, she was beautiful, she was rich, she was everything, and as she walked toward the front of the room she allowed herself to embody every notion anyone had of her. She was a fantasy.

The room pulsed with energy, and as Addie absorbed it her confidence radiated brighter and brighter. No one was whispering, and no one took their eyes off of her. She'd had attention poured on her since she was a child, but never to this magnitude. It was at that time that Addie realized how she flourished under scrutiny. She held up to everyone's dreams about who she would be as sat down, pulled the Sorting Hat over ears, and waited to be sorted.

"Hmmmm…." She could hear a voice inside her head, "You are ambitious, that's clear, but there's a heart here…yes...you certainly are noble."

"I want to be a Gryffindor," She thought hard in response.

"You've set your mind to it, then?" The voice replied.

"Yes," She thought back.

"Well, then that's the most important thing…"

She felt a sudden change, as the voice of the hat shifted from one that was inside her head to one that the entire hall could hear.

"GRYFFINDOR"

The hall erupted with applause and Addie immediately spotted the Gryffindor table. They had all jumped up in the air and the boys were frantically checking their appearances in the goblets that sat in front of them.

As she walked toward the Gryffindor table she became extremely aware of her own beauty. She had heard, from her grandmother, that the White line had descended from the last living Siren, but her grandmother was one for making up stories. What was true was that Addie had been blessed with exceptional genetics, and had attained a level of beauty that was so breath-taking that many inhabitants of the Great Hall were little less than shocked by it. She'd heard from other Wizards that modesty is a virtue, but modesty was not a virtue taught in the White household. Addie, and her mother, were used to being adored on sight. Though Addie, in moments of clarity that she preferred would never happen, acknowledged that many, if not all, of her relationships were friendships only on the shallowest level, it was the curse of beauty that she was willing to bare.

She strode over to the Gryffindor table. She knew she'd be accepted, because she knew she'd been accepted before they had even seen her. She looked around for a place to sit, and finally laid her eyes on Hermione Granger. Addie nearly turned away, in favor of sitting at the other end of the table, and then noticed the young man to her left. It was the boy who lived. It was Harry Potter.

She made up her mind then to wave at Hermione and sit down in an open seat across from her next to a red-haired boy who was frantically rubbing his nose in the reflection of his goblet.

"This seat taken?" She cooed, smiling at the boy from under her dark lashes.

He squeaked a response that Addie assumed indicated that the seat was not taken and she sat down next to him, not taking her eyes off Harry Potter for even a moment.

After the Great Hall had settled Dumbledore addressed the crowd. Addie, whose attention was not easy to keep, took a moment to observe the man that so many regarded as brilliant before she took to observing those around her.

"What's your name?" She asked the red haired boy.

He looked up from his goblet and stared at her with his eyes round. She took a moment to allow the words to form in his throat, "Ron Weasley," He squeaked.

_A Weasley,_ She laughed to herself. _I should have known._

"And you're Hermione right?" She asked, though of course she had remembered Hermione's name.

The jealousy that had formed at their first encounter solidified as Hermione glanced from Ron to Addie and then replied coolly, "Yes, Hermione Granger."

Addie then shifted her attention to Harry. She had saved her most sultry looks and her most charming smile for last. She allowed a small portion of her hair to fall into her eyes and said, "And you're Harry Potter, I've heard a lot about you this summer."

"Yeah well, the _Prophet_ is garbage in case you're wondering," He replied.

Even Addie, who often was regarded as flawless, admitted that she had an easily ignited temper. At Harry's rebuke she could feel the tension that started in the pit of her stomach rise up toward her face and her fists felt hot as she clenched them under the table. She had been expecting a warmer response from the boy she had been told she must befriend. She had hardly expected coldness. Addie had never been refused. She wouldn't allow it.

"No, that's actually not it at all, _Harry,_" She replied scathingly. "I actually heard it from my mother who was _very_ close friends with your mother. Oh, and you know, she's also a member of the Order of the you-know-what. From one tabloid favorite to another, I would have expected you not to be one to jump to conclusions."

Harry looked up at her for the first time, and Addie allowed herself the full enjoyment of the self-satisfaction that came with his reaction. First was the shock that always accompanied Addie meeting someone for the first time. It was a moment's recognition of her beauty. Then, she recognized in Harry a begrudging embarrassment as Addie smiled coquettishly from across the table.

He lowered his voice to a whisper and muttered, "Don't talk about that stuff here!"

"Pfft!" She scoffed, waving her hand. "They're not paying attention to what I'm saying."

Which was entirely true, they were just looking at her, deep in thought about things that would only ever happen in their dreams.

"Who are you?" Addie asked a young man sitting across from her, turning her attention away from the boy who lived.

He, unlike most boys, replied with ease, "Seamus Finnegan and I must say it's a pleasure to be in the company of such beauty," He reached over and kissed her hand. Addie giggled uncharacteristically. He was cute.

She spent the majority of the dinner regaling the Gryffindor table with stories of her childhood and asked for advice about classes and the like. The boys hung on her every word while the girl's watched with thinly veiled animosity. Addie had taken her place as the Queen of Hogwarts, and she had hardly stepped through the door.

She left the Great Hall with a gaggle of already adoring followers in her wake, and glided through the corridors with confidence, despite not knowing where she was. As she approached a tall staircase that Hermione indicated led to the Gryffindor common room, she heard a voice that made her stop in her tracks.

"Hold on just a moment," She said, not only to the trio in front of her, but to the scores of people behind her.

"What?" Harry asked, "What's going on?"

She ignored him, and ran down the corridor, leaving her bewildered admirers to watch her from the foot of the staircase. She had spotted an old friend, a boy from her past, standing in between two other boys almost as big as trolls, and talking to a small, pug-like girl, with ease. Addie slid in between the boy and the girl with ease and once again, allowed use of her most charming smile.

"Draco Malfoy I don't believe it!" She said, kissing him on the cheek. "It's been too long!"

He took her in an embrace that was far warmer than any of his Slytherin friends were accustomed to. The pug-like girl gave a snort of jealousy as Draco Malfoy replied, "Much too long."

Addie Whit had only had one playmate as a child, and it had been Draco Malfoy. His family has always been throwing parties, and hers has always been attending them. However, now that the Order was reformed, and the fight against Voldemort was just beginning, Addie didn't think she would ever attend a Malfoy party again.

Addie loved very few things. She even wondered if she truly loved her mother. She'd had no childhood pets, and no dolls that weren't easily replaced. She had an affinity for Quidditch that she supposed she could call love, but it was her love of Draco Malfoy that had been constant. Her crush on him blossomed when they were children and he, being the only boy her age that she had ever really known, had been the object of her affection for so long that she could hardly call it anything but love. He walked into a room with more confidence than she did, and she had often thought that perhaps he was her perfect match; beautiful, pureblood, and rich.

She put her face in his chest and took in the smell of his sweet cologne. The pug-faced girl tapped his shoulder in an attempt to regain his attention, and finally Draco turned away.

"How are you?" She asked, her voice taking on a lighter, airy quality.

"Things are quite well. Father and mother bought me a new racing broom. I play for Slytherin, you know," He smiled at his own accomplishment and Addie felt her knees weaken.

Suddenly, a light hand was placed on Addie's shoulder and she turned to see Harry Potter standing behind her, "Come on, Ron and Hermione are prefects and they have to show the first years—and you—the way to the common room. We have to go."

He spoke quietly, as if he were trying to diminish his presence.

"She can stay a few more minutes, Potter," Draco spat. "If you must wait for her, wait over there, we have a lot of catching up to do."

The thing about hatred is that it hardly masks itself. Addie could sense the tension immediately, even before Harry's response. She backed away from the two and though that perhaps she had made a mistake.

"Oh shove off Malfoy," Harry spat back, with a look of utmost contempt. "I've had a right bad summer and I have not the time or energy to deal with _you_."

"Oh poor whiney Potter," Draco shot back. "Why don't you go peddle your problems to someone who cares? I'm busy."

Addie took this moment to recognize that between these two boys there were few people one hated more than the other.

"Well!" Addie clapped her hands together, demanding their attention, "This was a lovely little reunion but I have to leave now. I will see you around, Draco, goodbye!"

Addie grabbed Harry by the hand and pulled him away before she was able to hear Draco's response.

She asked once the two were at a safe distance, "You really seemed to hate each other."

Harry paused a moment, "He's scum, he's evil, he's—he's…"

"He's my friend," She responded curtly. "And he's not any of those things either, now come on if you had to show me the common room so badly then why don't you?"

Addie was not one for long silence. The forced contemplation of her current situation that came along with silence was so unbearable that she attempted to avoid it at all costs.

"So…what's it like being famous at Hogwarts?"

This apparently, was the wrong thing to ask.

"It's _awful_!" Harry lamented. "Everyone's always pestering you about something, and everyone loves to think badly of you, and when newspaper articles come out about you they believe them. But nobody ever believes anything YOU have to say, and even when you have to see a fellow classmate DIE nobody leaves you the bloody hell alone!"

Addie's had warned her against reminding Harry of "the incident". Apparently over the course of the last school year Harry had not only narrowly escaped death at Voldemort's hands for the second time, but also had watched a classmate die. However, Addie was growing bored of talking about Harry and hoped to discuss a subject about which she was well versed, herself, for example.

"You know, I'm not really used to the media, what with the spell and all," She began, "I was just asking because I don't know what to expect."

Harry opened his mouth to respond, possibly to apologize, but a loud voice interrupted and the two looked to see Ron and Hermione standing in front of what Addie judged to be an extremely tacky painting of a rather large woman.

"Hi guys!" She greeted cheerfully. "Sorry I was just catching up with an old friend."

"Oh, who?" Hermione asked.

"Draco Malfoy," Addie replied without shame.

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances and asked in unison, "Draco Malfoy?"

"Yes," She replied coolly, "Why does everyone hate him so much? I've known him since I was a baby. He's not a bad guy."

Ron then doubled over with laughter, Hermione looked shocked, and Harry, as always, looked angry.

"The reason we dislike Malfoy…" Hermione began, choosing her words carefully, "Is because he's never really been...nice...to us."

Addie looked at her for a moment, and then it clicked, "You're muggle born aren't you?" She knew Harry wasn't, and the Weasley's were historically pureblood, so it must have been the girl.

She looked at me astonished, "Well yes…"

"Oh, well then this makes perfect sense…" She muttered.

"What?" She asked.

"I've known him for my whole life and he's been programmed not to like muggle borns by that horrible father of his. You've got to try and understand him though, he doesn't know any better."

"But he's….he's….horrible!" Ron stuttered. "He's been mean to me since the day he met me because he think I'm a—a…"

"Blood traitor?" Addie offered, "Yeah now that I think about it he's mentioned the Weasleys before. He can be quite nasty sometimes, but you've got to believe me on this one it's his dad, not him."

"And?" Harry replied scathingly. "I've only just met you so I'm not one to give you any advice, but let me just say this: Lucius Malfoy is a Death Eater. Draco is a bigoted, evil, pathetic toad and if your mother really is risking her life to be in the—you know what—then you should choose your company with a bit more care."

Addie was shocked. It was a rare occasion that even her mother reprimanded her. She had been allowed to make her own decisions without consequence for fifteen years, who was Harry Potter to tell her she should make them more wisely?

"Like you said, you've only just met me, and you're _not_ in any position to tell me what to do, so stop it."

Silence descended upon Addie once more and she turned before she would have to face another moment of it, "I'll see you guys later. I'm going," She paused for a moment, and heard the snickers of the trio behind her. Addie rarely humbled herself, but this was a rare occasion and she truly had no idea where she was going.

"Hey guys…" She asked, "Where _am _I going."

Ron laughed and said, "Say Frog Spawn".

Being that this was all she had to go on, Addie faced the possibility of being humiliated, turned back around and said "Frog Spawn."

To her surprise the painting swung open revealing a hole in the wall that lead to what she determined was the Gryffindor common room. "Thanks!" She called over her shoulder as she hurried into the common room.

She was angry, but Addie was a master at hiding her own emotions. She took just a moment for a deep breath, shook off her anger, and appeared, smiling, in the common room.

Before she could even greet her fellow Gryffindors, she could feel herself being lifted. She looked around frantically as she saw two red-headed figures had lifted her off the ground and put her onto their own shoulders , "Welcome to Hogwarts!" They said in unison.

She laughed, "Hello, who are you?"

"I'm Fred Weasley!" The first boy said, kissing her hand. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"And I'm the more handsome brother, George," The second twin said pushing the first out of the way.

"You must be Ron's brothers!" She exclaimed, assuming they already knew who she was.

"Now don't go spreading that around," Fred said taking a low bow, "If you ever need assistance…"

"Skipping class," George said.

"Faking Homework,"

"Getting Food,"

"We're your men,"

She was relieved to finally meet two people who seemed to fit her own personality, "I'll remember that."

"Well first day of classes tomorrow," Fred gave a big false yawn, "And you know how excited we are about that."

"We'll see your lovely-ness tomorrow morning," George said, then they both strode off toward the left staircase, "Oh and by the way!" Fred called, "The girl's dormitory is on the right, and your year tells you what room you sleep in!"

"Thanks!" She called back.

She trudged up the stairs after a long day, trying alternately to process all of the information she had received that day and not to dwell on anything that had just happened. She turned into what she assumed to be the fifth year's dormitory and ignored the stares from the other girls and plopped on the bed, fully clothed, and went to sleep.


	2. Growing Intrigue

Morning came, as is its custom, far too quickly for Addie's liking. The idea of rising early for classes was foreign to Addie, and for a moment she forgot where she was and rolled over to go back to sleep. The shuffling of the other girls in the dorm, and the increasing volume of the whispers finally alerted Addie and she leapt out of bed far more quickly than she had intended.

"Where are my socks?" She asked, louder than intended.

"Well good morning to you too!" A familiar voice greeted her cheerfully. "Have you met the others?"

"The other what?" Addie muttered wiping the sleep out of her eyes.

"The other girls obviously!" Hermione said with a cheer that could only be irritating so early in the morning.

Addie looked around the room. There were about four or five other girls she had never seen before, "Hi," she muttered vaguely still searching for her socks.

"I'm Parvati Patil," One of them said, rushing over. Addie immediately recognized Parvati as one of the fakest types of friends. She could see it in the way that Parvati eyed Addie's nails as they shook hands, and in the subtle glance she gave over at Addie's large pink trunk. Addie knew that if this was to be a friendship, it would be a political one.

"Hi Parvati," Addie said, warmly as ever, "Have you seen my socks?"

"You're wearing them," A different girl pointed out from across the room. Addie looked at her feet and realized that not only was she wearing her socks, but also her entire ensemble from the previous night.

"I knew that," She laughed, "I'm not really a morning person, you see..."

"I'm Lavender Brown," Lavender presented herself far better than Parvati, but Addie remained skeptical of them both. She sensed that behind Lavender's kind eyes and casual introduction was a girl seeking a way to get ahead.

Addie turned from the group of girls that had formed behind her and bent down to open the pink trunk that contained a fresh pair of clothes and all of her other belongings. She had received it, like most of her other more interesting items, from a former boyfriend of her mother. It was bright pink and opened to reveal space much bigger than the trunk itself. I had shelves overflowing with makeup she didn't use, and hair products she didn't need, but Addie, like a true White, liked to leave them there for effect.

"Let's see…." She said to herself, "Where's my eyeliner…"

"Can I use some?" Parvati asked anxiously.

"No," Addie replied shortly, digging through her clothes for a fresh set of robes. "I don't like people using my things."

My answer was followed by an awkward silence, only to be broken by Lavender.

"Did you guys read about Harry in the papers this summer?"

"Yeah, I did," Parvati replied darkly. "He's really gone mad hasn't he?"

Addie fixed her eyes on their reflections in the full-length mirror that she had pulled out of her trunk, and casually continued applying her make up, while listening very intently to the conversation going on behind her.

"Oh be quiet you two!" Hermione called from one side of the room. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"We don't, huh?" Parvati giggled. "Well what about you Hermione you know Harry pretty well."

"Yes," Hermione looked at her sharply, "What are you getting at?"

"Well can you tell us what happened during the tournament?" She exclaimed. "You must know!"

"I only know a little, and even so that's Harry's business and not yours!" She scolded.

"I'm leaving!" Hermione cried. "Addie you can er—you can come if you'd like."

The look in Hermione's eyes compelled Addie to go with her, and as they left the girl's dormitory Addie could hear the faint whisperings of those whom they had left behind. Upon entering the common room the two immediately spotted Ron and Harry who was sitting with his arms folded tightly across his shoulders looking furious.

"What's wrong Harry?" Hermione asked, echoing Addie's thoughts.

"Seamus thinks I'm out of it," He replied angrily. "He believes the _Daily Prophet_."

"We'll—oh dear..." Hermione said looking a poster on the bulletin board, "What are they up to now?"

"What's that?" Ron asked looking at the paper. "Oh…"

"Lemme see!" Addie cried pulling the paper out of Hermione's grasp. It was an add for younger students to see Fred and George Weasley for some sort of testing. Addie laughed, "They're pretty funny, those brothers of yours!"

"Yeah they're funny alright…." Ron muttered.

"I can't believe Seamus!" Harry said loudly, bringing the attention back on himself. "How can he believe the Daily Prophet?"

"I'm sorry Harry, it must be tough," Hermione sympathized. "Lavender does as well."

"Oh, been having a nice little chat with her about me, eh?" he yelled.

"N—no Harry it's not like that I—" Hermione stammered.

"Harry don't have a fit. She stuck up for you like a true friend," Addie said. "And I'm surprised you have any friends the way you go around yelling at everyone you meet."

She allowed herself the satisfaction of Harry's surprised expression, and silently decided that she had won this round of fighting with Harry Potter.

"Sorry…" He muttered, cementing his defeat.

"You should be. Now let's get downstairs my stomach is about to eat _itself_."

The quartet walked down to the Great Hall, and Addie tried to be cheerful, but it was hard with Harry trudging along so sulkily. She was grateful to sit down to breakfast at the Great Hall, and encounter people who adored her without emotional baggage.

Halfway through breakfast the fifth year schedules were handed out.

"This is the worst schedule I've ever seen!" Ron exclaimed, nearly spilling his juice, "History of Magic, Double Potions, Divination, and Double Defense Against the Dark Arts. I could use one of those skiving snack boxes right about now."

"Why is that bad?" Addie asked, feeling like an outsider for the first time. "Oh, and I'm in Divination as well."

"That's some bad luck for you," Ron said. "It's the worst class I've ever had."

"The teacher always predicts my death," Harry muttered.

"Well it can't be that bad," Addie said, shooting a sidelong glance at Harry. "What about History of magic?"

"Even worse." Ron said after swallowing a large bite of porridge. "It's taught by a ghost, Professor Binns, and all you do is take notes. It's hell."

"And potions?" She asked anxiously, "Anything to worry about there?"

At this point, those around the table who had been listening to Addie's conversation all snorted with laughter.

"Everything!" Harry exclaimed. "Professor Snape hates me, and all the Gryffindors, for that matter! He only likes Slytherins, and especially Malfoy."

"Snape?" Addie asked, "Severus Snape?"

Addie's mother was not one for reminiscing, but when the mood was right, and Addie asked the right questions, she was usually able to procure a story or two from her mother's past. Most of these stories revolved around Lily Evans and a group of boys of which James Potter was apart. Addie loved these stories so she remembered every word, and she remembered the name Severus Snape.

"Yes…" Harry answered skeptically, "How did you know that

"Er—well—" Addie muttered, "My mother never has really told me much about her childhood, not sure why, but whenever she has she talks a lot about getting into trouble, and a lot of that trouble revolved around Severus Snape. I doubt he'll like me very much, either."

"Did your mother by any chance know—"

"You're mother and father?" Addie supplied; happy that Harry had finally realized. "Like I said, she never talks much about her childhood and things, but what I do know is that she went to Hogwarts and knew your mother and father. As the story goes, your mother and my mother were best friends."

Harry's face changed from curiosity to shock, "Your mum…was my mums best friend?"

"Yep!" Addie answered answered. "Actually, I have something I'm supposed to give you up in the dormitory. Remind me next time we go up."

Addie watched Harry eat the rest of his breakfast in almost an unbroken silence. Perhaps she had been too nonchalant in the mentioning of his mother? Addie had never experienced tragedy. Addie had never felt alone or victimized or even particularly unhappy. She stared at Harry, a boy who had been through so much, and slowly realized that she couldn't possibly comprehend what it must be like to carry that amount of emotional baggage.

The quartet finished their breakfast and hurried out of the Great Hall toward History of Magic. Unfortunately, Addie realized that Ron's analysis of the class was completely accurate and Addie found that she had dozed off only moments after class had begun.

"Class is over," He whispered. "Come on."

"What?" Addie asked groggily.

"Oh…." She mumbled, looking up to see the students filing out of the classroom. Addie followed Harry out to the courtyard; a light rain falling around them.

_Thank God I used Anti-Frizz this morning._ Addie thought. _The rain would kill my hair_.

Addie, who had no interest in talking at length about Professor Snape, decided to take this time to observe Hogwarts. Though the weather was unpleasant, she noted that the campus itself was breathtaking and smiled as students hurried through the rain, some attempting shielding spells, others just covering their heads. She had never been surrounded by so many people her age. Everything around her was new and exciting and she was beautiful and interesting and everyone wanted to befriend her. Life here, she decided, would be good.

Addie's thoughts, and the trio's conversation, were then interrupted by a girl's voice, "Hi Harry!"

Addie turned to see a pretty young girl standing nervously behind them. She had dark black hair that fell down to her waist and a nervous smile plastered upon her pretty face. Addie, a girl prone to intense scrutiny, decided that this girl passed all her tests with flying colors.

"H—Hi Cho" Harry stammered.

"H—Have a nice summer?" He asked.

"It was okay…" She replied softly.

Addie had seen enough pathetic attempts at flirting with her mother to recognize pathetic attempts at flirting elsewhere. The two stood awkwardly facing each other, shifting their feet in the muddy ground and making small talk. Soon enough, Ron, who didn't seem to realize what was going on, jumped in to harass the young girl about her Tornado's badge and drove her away.

_Almost for the best._ Addie thought, but took the liberty of hitting Ron on the back of the head anyway.

"Ow! What was that for?" Ron cried, rubbing the back of his head where she had hit him.

"Couldn't you tell what was going on?" Addie laughed, "What did you have to harass her about her badge for?"

"W—Well most Tornados fans only just jumped on the bandwagon and…"

"Oh Ron," Hermione scoffed, "Couldn't you tell she wanted to talk to Harry?"

"That's the bell…" Harry said sadly. Addie followed them down to a dark dungeon, each step making the prospect of ditching class more and more appealing.

"Oy! Addie!" A familiar voice called from across the dungeon.

"Draco!" She cried as she turned around, "Are you in my class?"

"That I am," He answered, smiling.

Addie walked over to him and took him in embrace, "So how have you been?"

"You're not really hanging around with Potter, Weasel and the Mudblood are you?" He asked, ignoring her question.

Addie was taken aback, "They're my friends. What's it to you?"

"I don't like them," He stated, his eyes narrowing into slits. "I don't want you talking to them."

"Since when do you tell me what to do Malfoy?" Addie asked angrily. "They're my friends just as much as you are! I'll hang out with whomever I please!"

"Well you won't be seeing very much of me then!" He exclaimed pushing her away. "I don't want to touch a mudblood lover."

Addie's temper, which had been on the verge of igniting, lit into flame and she whipped out her wand and pointed it right under Malfoy's chin, "And I don't want to touch a slimy, disgusting, jerk like you anyway Malfoy."

He stared at her with cold eyes. Addie could see the pug-like girl's satisfied grins in the background as she stalked off towards Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"What was that?" Harry asked, looking back at Malfoy.

"The death of an old friendship," Addie replied softly.

"You can't just attack Malfoy in the halls, you know," Hermione said critically, "We would all love to do that if we could, but you're going to lose us points from Gryffindor and—"

Addie raised her hand to indicate that Hermione should stop, "Don't tell me what to do. If I want to attack Malfoy I'll do it whenever, and wherever I please."

"That's the spirit," Ron mumbled as Addie threw open the door to the potions dungeon and took her seat.

Addie's fears about Professor Snape were confirmed and augmented by that day's potions class. As she looked up at his pale complexion, greasy hair, and dreary disposition she was positive that this was the man that her mother and friends had tortured when he was at Hogwarts. Addie then resolved to sit in the back and try not to be noticed.

"As I'm sure you already know," He said in a voice barely above a whisper, "We have a new celebrity in our midst," His heartless eyes staring directly at Addie, "This one even more trivial than our original."

"Excuse me?" She interrupted, her temper re-ignited, "I may be a lot of things, but trivial isn't one of them."

His eyes narrowed further, "What did you say?"

"I believe I spoke loud and clear Professor. Maybe you should get your ears checked," Addie replied. The class gasped collectively.

"Just like your mother, aren't you?" He spat. "Twenty points from Gryffindor for your disrespect, and next time it will be detention."

Hermione let out a self-satisfied grunt and Addie rolled her eyes. She already began drafting a letter to her mother in her head about Snape's behavior. She had never been treated so poorly. And how dare he suggest that she was in some way trivial or unimportant? Addie, determined to prove that she was not useless, followed the instructions on the board carefully to make a perfect Draught of Peace, by the end, only Hermione's potion emitted a more pure silver smoke.

Snape came over and scrutinized Addie's, searching for something wrong, then said, "Make no mistake, you will not be getting any special treatment in my classroom. No matter how pampered you are at home."

"As you can see by my potion sir," Addie replied coolly, "I don't make mistakes."

Addie watched as Snape travelled from potion to potion, praising or ignoring Slytherins and harassing or ignoring Gryffindors. When he arrived at Harry's potion, Addie thought she had seen the worst of Snape's maliciousness, but then he arrived at the potion of a boy sitting in the back of the room. The boy was stout and round-faced and looked terrified as Snape loomed over his potion, ripping it to shreds. Addie felt her heart go out to the boy, and couldn't help but notice that Draco was laughing the entire time.

"Now if you don't think your potion is utterly useless," He said maliciously, throwing the boy in the back of the room a glance, "Bring your Draught of Peace up to me."

Addie poured some of my potion into a glass, and brought it up to Snape's desk. As she waited to turn in her Draught of Peace, she felt an arm slide across her waist.

"I'm sorry Addie," Draco whispered in her ear, "You can be friends with the mudblood if you want."

"Make no mistake," She said, lowering her voice, "I will be friends with whomever I please, and you are not one of those people."

Addie had been taught to value very few things. She had been taught to value good hair days, a charming smile, and large vaults at Gringotts. She had been taught to value herself before others, her mother before anyone, and her pride before anything at all. Draco had wounded her pride, and there was no going back from wounding Addie White's pride.

She stormed angrily out of the classroom, Harry, Ron, and Hermione close behind.

"Oh I can't believe him!" Addie exclaimed as they walked to Divination. "How could he…what makes him think…arrrgh!"

"That's Draco Malfoy," Harry said. "That's why we hate him."

"Well I can assure you," Addie raged on, "there will be no more buddy-buddy stuff between us. To think you know a guy for fourteen years and then you see him in school and he's a totally different person."

"How did you know him anyway?" Ron asked. "I mean what with your mum being in the—well—you know."

"Well, she was in it at first, you see," Addie responded, "And I really know very little about it. My mother is a very private person, but I think it was actually sort of her job to hang around in those pure blood circles and figure out was going on. She was like a femme fatale of sorts, I suppose."

"That's so ironic, what with her going as Femme Fetale to the ministers Halloween party last year!" Ron exclaimed.

There was an awkward silence that followed, and Hermione snorted laughter into her hands.

"Well…I….err…read…._Witch Weekly_…saw article…" Ron stammered.

"It's okay," Addie laughed, "I know my mum's famous."

Addie attempted to remember the complex directions they were taking to get to the divination classroom, but it was no use. It took all her energy just to remember small details about the directions around Hogwarts, and as a result she had tuned out Harry, Ron, and Hermione entirely. When she finally gave up trying to remember her way she was just in time to hear Harry shouting.

"Will you two give it a rest? You're always at each others throats it's driving me insane!" He stormed off down the corridor.

Addie looked from Ron, to Hermione, then ran to catch up with Harry.

"Harry, hold on, what just happened?" She asked, putting her hand on his shoulder to slow him down.

"I just can't take their fighting anymore," He said. "You don't know them like I do they're always like this."

"Do you want to stop for a moment, or something?" Addie asked. She was not well-versed in how to help others, "I mean, you seem like you need a break."

"I guess you're right…" He muttered, "I just had…a really bad summer…"

"I heard about what happened," Addie said quietly, trying to be comforting. For the first time in her life, Addie experienced a desire to understand someone other than herself. It was a desire that was so foreign to her that she hardly knew how to act. She was thrust out of her comfort zone and into the bright-green scrutiny of Harry's eyes. He gave her a reproachful look.

"I'm not asking you to tell me any stories," She added hurriedly. "I just want you to know I understand. Well, actually I don't, but you can't let what happened in the past dictate your future, you know?" She was shocked at herself for expressing such compassion; it was not traditionally in her nature to do so.

Harry stared at her. His eyes traveled from the top of her head down to her shoes, but he was not, as most boys were, admiring her appearance. Addie realized that Harry was trying to get a sense of her. He was trying to decide whether or not he could trust her, and in that moment Addie became determined to prove that he could.

There was an awkward silence and then, "We're here…."

"What?" She asked; looking around. "Where's the door."

"Up here," He said pulling down a ladder from the ceiling. "Ladies first."

Harry stepped aside and let Addie climb the ladder into the strangest classroom she had ever seen. The smell of incense was overwhelming, and the heat smacked her in the face the moment she entered. Instead of desks the classroom was decorated with large poufs, and the only light came from softly flickering candles.

"Welcome to the most useless class you'll ever attend," Harry whispered, sitting in the pouf next to Addie's.

Addie and Harry maintained small talk until more students began shuffling into the classroom and sitting in the surrounding poufs. Finally, Ron appeared in the doorway.

"We stopped fighting," He said.

"Good," Harry murmured his eyes darting to the floor.

"But Hermione says it would be better if you stopped jumping down our throats at every moment," said Ron.

The classroom went silent as a tall, thin woman entered. Addie was taken aback by her appearance. Her hair and glasses were askew and her old robes hung off her body and dragged on the floor as she watched. Addie was shocked that there was a woman who held her appearance in such little regard. She spoke in a dreamy, far off voice, "Good afternoon, children."

"As most of you know, I am Professor Trelawney, and I of course know who all of you are," She said.

_Why did I take this class?_ Addie thought.

The classroom split into groups for dream interpretation, and Addie soon realized that, once again, Ron's analysis of the class had not been far from the truth.

"Well you were right, Potter," Addie said as she jumped off the ladder from the Divination room, "That was the most useless class I have ever attended."

They laughed and met up with Hermione to make their way down to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"S—So A—Addie," Ron stammered, "D—Do you fancy anyone? Here at Hogwarts I mean," Ron's attempts at casual glances over at Addie revealed his intentions quickly, and Addie could almost feel her self-confidence rising. She couldn't help but notice, though, that Harry was staring at her as well.

"I don't know," She replied coquettishly, "I don't know anyone well enough yet."

Ron looked slightly hurt.

"But I guess it's the people who I hang out with most who have the best chance," She shot him a small smile and a suggestive wink. Harry let out an involuntary cough and Hermione shot daggers at Addie from a few paces behind. Ron, however, put his hand up against the wall for balance as he recovered from the shock.

"Oh…" He said, his ears reddening, "That's good."

Addie smiled and allowed her hips to swing suggestively as they walked. She could feel the back of her skirt swishing along with her hips, and squared her shoulders to fully extend her body. Addie knew how to keep a boy's attention.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts…" She said staring at the classroom door. "Shouldn't be too bad right?"

"I dunno…." Harry said thoughtfully, "This new teacher, Professor Umbridge, seems a bit shady to me."

"Who is she?" Addie asked.

"Some woman that works for the Ministry," Said Ron. "She was at Harry's hearing."

"Whoa!" Addie exclaimed. "A hearing? What for?"

"Underage magic…"Harry muttered. His tone of voice kept her from questioning further.

"Well," Hermione sighed, "We'd better go in."

This classroom was even more revolting than the last. Not because of lights, smells, or decor, but because of the horrifying woman sitting at the front desk. She was wearing an unforgivably hideous pink sweater, which matched her equally hideous smile.

"Good Afternoon class!" Professor Umbridge said.

The response was few scattered mutters around the classroom. She looked around, squishing up her face in disapproval, making her resemblance to a toad even more noticeable.

"When I say Good Afternoon," She instructed, "You will reply, good afternoon."

She stretched her fat face into a smile, "Let's try again. Good afternoon class!"

"Good afternoon Professor Umbridge," They replied dully.

She tapped the blackboard and the words "Defense Against the Dark Arts A Return to Basic Principles" appeared.

Addie fell into day dreams almost immediately. She pulled out a small piece of paper and began a cartoon of Professor Umbridge which she intended to give to Harry. She had almost finished enchanting it under the desk when she hear Hermione's voice.

"Excuse me Professor, but there is nothing in the course aims about using defensive spells."

Addie looked up at the board, the original words were gone, and the "course aims" were now showing. Hermione was right, it didn't say anything about using defensive spells. Addie looked around the classroom, everyone's books were opened to chapter one.

She quickly opened up my book to some page in the middle of the chapter, and pretended like she had been reading all along.

"Using defensive spells?" Umbrige asked in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Why would you ever have to use defensive spells in my classroom?"

"We're not going to be using spells?" Ron exclaimed from the back of the room.

This argument continued, but Addie grew tired and continued her drawing, then she heard Harry from the back of the room, and she was compelled to listen.

"What do you mean we'll learn defense in 'a risk free way'?" Harry said loudly. "If we get attacked it won't be in a risk free way!"

Anarchy broke out in the classroom. Students hardly bothered to raise their hands before they shouted their opinions about the course aims. Addie, who hated being on the outside, decided to involve herself immediately.

"Aren't we going to have to perform spells on our O.W.L?" She asked. "Because if you expect me to walk into the O.W.L room without ever practicing the spells, you're out of your mind."

"And who are you?" Umbridge asked.

"Addie White," She replied proudly.

"Well miss White. The ministry believes if you have studied magical theory enough, the magic should just come naturally."

"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. If a knowledge of magical theory could make you perform magic they wouldn't have squibs now, would we?" Addie scoffed.

"I think I'll be taking ten points from Gryffindor for that," She said, smile still intact.

"Eh do what you please," Addie once again attempted to tune out the commotion and focus on her artwork, but then she heard something that stopped her quill in mid-stroke, "Lord Voldemort."

"That will be ten points from your house, Mr. Potter"

The classroom had suddenly become eerily silent. Addie slipped her drawing into her desk.

"You all have been told that a certain, Dark wizard has returned. This is not true."

Addie turned to look at Harry, whose temper was rising visibly in his neck and face.

"It IS true!" Harry exclaimed, "I fought him!"

"Detention Potter!" Umbridge said sharply.

Addie sat up taller in her chair, aware that what was going on was far more than an argument between teacher and student. This was an argument between a backward ministry and a rebellion. This was what her mother was fighting for, this was what Harry's parents had died for, this was what Dumbledore endured abuse for, this was war.

"So you think Cedric Diggory just dropped dead for nothing, huh?" Harry asked. She could hear his voice quavering.

The mood tensed. Addie knew very little about what had happened at Hogwarts the year before, and she had no idea who Cedric Diggory was prior to Harry's speech, but judging by the mood in the room Cedric Diggory was the boy who had died the year before, and nobody had heard his name for a long time.

"His death," Umbridge said with fake sadness, "was a tragic accident."

"He was murdered by Lord Voldemort," Harry said. He was shaking. His vibrant green eyes were glowing, and he had a strange look on his face. Beyond anger, beyond rage, beyond any emotion Addie had ever experienced.

"Come here sweetheart," Umbridge said, pulling out a small roll of parchment, "Take this to Professor McGonagall."

He turned on his heels and stormed out of the room. Everyone looked shocked. Their mouths were hanging open, and they couldn't believe what they had just heard, but Addie, unlike the rest of them, was intrigued.


	3. Reluctant Realization

The next time Addie saw Harry was that evening in the Great Hall.

"Harry!" She cried, rushing up to him. "You were amazing!"

"Thanks…" He muttered.

"No I'm serious! You were brilliant! And she didn't even know what to make of it all! I mean detention seems so futile after all of that!'" She said excitedly, spinning in place.

He looked at her and laughed, "Well that's one way of telling the story."

"Eh, well my version's the only one that matters anyway." She said, tossing a lock of hair over her shoulder.

"That doesn't seem to be the opinion of the school…" He said, looking sulky again.

Addie turned around casually to notice that most of the students in the Great hall were either staring or pointing at Harry. Addie felt that strange pang of sympathy for Harry again.

_It must be awful_. She mused. _To have the one place that you'd finally found a home turned into the place where you were the most unwelcome._

Lavender and Parvati walked behind our chairs, and as they did Addie could just make out faint whisperings of "Cedric Diggory" and "You-Know-Who" interspersed with giggles.

"Excuse me," Addie called after them, "Don't you think that's just a little bit _rude_?"

"What?" Parvati asked stupidly.

"Whispering about someone when they're sitting right there. Of course he can hear you." Addie replied, folding her arms across her chest. In the realm of female-on-female verbal combat, Addie White was the reigning champion.

"I—I w—we w—we weren't!" Parvati lied.

"Why don't you do something useful, like change out of the heinous sweater, and rub some of that makeup off your face. You look like one of those muggle glass dolls, only poorly made." Addie smiled as Parvati tugged on her sweater and tried to look unphased, "Now shoo, both of you, I don't want to hear your voices again tonight."

The two hurried off whispering to each other along the way, and Addie smiled as she heard Parvati sniffling out the door.

"You didn't have to do that." Harry said, half laughing, half embarrassed.

"Eh, now you owe me," Addie shrugged, tossing a glance at Harry over her shoulder.

"That was the brilliant!" Fred (possibly George) Weasley exclaimed from across the table.

"You are officially our new partner in crime," George (or Fred) announced.

"Why thank you," Addie smiled taking a small bow over her goblet.

Dinner proved to be a much needed break from an overwhelming day. Addie basked in the attention of the Gryffindor males, and joked along with the Weasley twins until Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the table and beckoned her to come with them. Addie almost chose not to go with them, but as she glanced Harry's green eyes, she decided she would rather follow him than stay in the Great Hall.

They headed up to the common room, to find, luckily, that it was empty when they arrived. Addie was unnerved by the silence; the sounds of the fire, the crickets from outside, and the occasional hooting of an owl.

"This is insane!" Hermione exclaimed, "How can Dumbledore give us such a useless teacher during our O.W.L year?"

"She's trying to recruit spies for the ministry," Ron said, lowering his voice. "She mentioned it in class. She told us to tell her if anyone said You-Know-Who was back."

_She did?_ Addie thought. _Perhaps I should pay more attention._

"Well that's obvious." Hermione said sharply, "Why else would she be here?"

Addie looked toward Ron and saw the defeated look in his eye. Instinctively, she came to his aid, "Well I didn't make that connection, good thinking Ron." She smiled.

"Well that's because you were doing that ridiculous drawing." Hermione snapped, "I saw you from the back of the classroom."

Addie clenched her fists and opened her mouth to respond but Harry cut in first.

"Oh don't start arguing with them too," Harry said exasperatedly, "Let's just start our homework."

"Fine," Addie said, still staring at Hermione with disdain, "Snape's stuff first?"

"Alright," Ron said taking out his books, "What are the properties of Moonstone and its uses in potion making."

"Damned if I know," I muttered writing the first few words on my page, "Hermione?"

She was staring across the room ad Fred, George, a boy with dread locks, who had introduced himself at dinner. They were surrounded by first years, each of whom were taking some sort of candy out of a bag.

"Oh this is_ it_!" Hermione said, grabbing Ron and storming over to the other side of the room.

"What's wrong?" Addie asked Harry.

"They're testing stuff on first years," Harry replied, trying to hold back a smile, "They're called Skiving Snack boxes, they make you faint and things of that sort so you don't have to go to class. Fred and George want to start a joke shop when they leave Hogwarts."

"Those two get just keep getting funnier," Addie laughed rushin over to join them. She watched from a distance as a first year took a bite of one of the candies, and then fainted spectacularly in his chair.

As soon as the first year had woken up, Addie made a move to go speak to Fred and George. Hermione, however, made it to them first and began a long-winded lecture about responsibility that Addie decided was best left to her. She amused herself by casually browsing the bulletin board, in hopes of finding something interesting.

"QUIDDITCH TRYOUTS FOR NEW GRYFFINDOR KEEPER AND CHASER MEET ON THE FIELD THIS FRIDAY!"

Addie had always been good at Quidditch. Her mother almost married one of the chasers on the Irish International Team and he had been her private coach for many years.

_Quidditch should be fun_. She thought. _It'll give me something to do_.

She took a moment to look over at Fred and George, they were staring angrily at Hermione and the first years seemed to have disappeared.

"Hey guys!" Addie smiled, "Seems like Hermione broke up you're little get together."

"Eh, we'll figure out a way around her." George replied, fixing his eyes on Addie, "So what are you up to?"

"Thinking of trying out as Chaser on the Qudditch team" Addie replied, "What do you think?"

"That would be fantastic!" Fred exclaimed. "George and I are beaters!"

"What happened to your old chaser?" She asked.

"Katie Bell? Oh she didn't get good marks last year her parents wouldn't let her play."

"Well that's too bad," Addie replied without emotion, "So you guys are on the team?"

"Yeah we're the beaters, Angelina Johnson's our new captain and a chaser along with Alicia Spinnet, and Harry's the seeker." They informed her.

"Harry's the seeker?" She asked, "He's the right build for a Seeker. Is he any good?"

"He's bloody brilliant that's what he is! Only didn't catch the snitch once and that's because a dementor came on the grounds."

"Wow…" Addie turned to look back at Harry as he struggled with his Potions work. He became more and more intriguing the more she learned about him. Then, in an instant, she remembered the gift her mother had wanted her to bring him.

"I'll be right back you guys!" Addie said, rushing to the girl's dormitory. She rustled through her trunk and pulled out the picture her mother had told her to give to Harry.

Addie pulled it out carefully and took time to examine it before she brought it downstairs. It was a photo of Sherri and Lily Potter, each holding their newborn babies. Addie was shocked to see her mother's face clean of makeup, and a loose ponytail holding back her thick brown hair.

_She looks prettier this way_. Addie thought.

Harry's mother was beautiful too. She had dark, red hair that was down at her shoulders, and the same brilliant green eyes at Harry. Then, for the first time, Addie was struck by Harry's tragedy. Lily Potter was Addie's godmother, and she was dead. Lily Potter had been a best friend, a mother, a wife, and a godmother, and Lord Voldemort's evil had taken her away. Lily Potter was a hero.

Addie shook her head and took a deep breath, trying to stop the rise of emotion that had come on so suddenly. When she was ready, she took the photograph to the common room to show Harry.

"Harry!" She called as she came down the stairs from the girl's dormitories, "I have to give you something."

He looked up from his homework at her, and she felt her stomach tighten.

_Those eyes are really green._ She thought.

"What's going on Addie? I was just going up to bed," He yawned, "Can it wait till morning?"

"No I'll forget in the morning," She said; pulling the picture out of my pocket, "My mom wanted me to give it to you."

He too the photo carefully from Addie's hands, and fixed his eyes on his mother. He remained silent for a moment, and ran his fingers through his messy black hair.

"Is that…"

"Your mum?" Addie said softly, "Yeah, she was my mum's best friend, maid of honor at your parents wedding, and my godmother."

He looked up at her and she was struck by the brilliance of his eyes once more. She felt her stomach tighten again and her hands became significantly colder. She resisted the urge to giggle stupidly, and instead fixed her eyes on the ground. She was thankful to have the mood ruined by Ron and Hermione.

"You can't do that Hermione!" Ron's voice cried from behind them.

"You leave those hats alone Ron!" Hermione yelled back, "I'm doing the house elves a favor!"

"What's going on?" Addie whispered to Harry, "What about house elves?"

He laughed, "Hermione's going on about spew again."

"Spew?"

"Yeah, she's obsessed with house elf rights and she started a group to work towards getting them proper wages and things."

Addie laughed and her eyes met Harry's for a moment before they both looked away. Harry cleared his throat.

"It seems as though she's making hats, and hiding them so they house elves pick them up without knowing."

Addie and Harry watched in amusement, as Hermione and Ron argued about house elves, and finally stormed off to bed.

"Well…I should get to bed," She said, "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah…" Harry muttered, "See you."

Rising the next morning proved as difficult for Addie as it had been the previous day. As she wiped the sleep out of her eyes she could make out the vague outline of Hermione, going over her notes before class, and could hear the whisperings of Lavender and Parvati as they stood around a mirror and fixed their hair.

Addie felt agitated and tired, which she attributed to the adjustment to rising before noon, but she was also anxious, a feeling she couldn't attribute to anything in particular. It compelled her to dress more quickly than she had the previous morning. She pulled her thick brown hair back into a loose ponytail, wiped a makeup sponge across her face, and ran down stairs, her bag held loosely at her side. She felt as though she was going to meet someone, but she couldn't decide for whom.

As she arrived the common room collectively stopped to watch her descend the stairs.

_Haven't these people gotten used to seeing me yet_. She thought angrily.

Addie craned her neck to look around the common room, hoping to find what she had been so compelled to look for, but instead her vision was blocked by Seamus Finnegan's smiling face.

"Ah the princess is up," He cooed. "And how are we this fine morning?"

"Tired," She replied, looking beyond Seamus to the common room behind her.

"Need any help being woken up?" He smiled flirtatiously and winked. Addie, who was usually flattered by such attention, felt a rise in the pit of her stomach and an intense desire to be rid of Finnegan immediately.

"Get me some coffee and stop talking," She snapped. "I have a headache."

Looking slightly disappointed Seamus left the common room for the Great Hall where, Addie assumed, he would be getting her a coffee. Just as Seamus had closed the door behind him, Addie saw Harry coming down the stairs. Her desire to continue her search lifted and it was replaced with the same strange tightening in her stomach that she had felt the night before.

"Hi Harry!" She called, with an unexpected squeak in her voice.

"Hi Addie," Harry replied groggily, "Did you see Seamus? He practically pushed me out of the way, I guess he thinks if he stays near me long enough he'll be mad as well."

"Well that Seamus is an odd one…" She laughed nervously.

Harry and Addie were only left alone for moments when both Hermione and Ron appeared simultaneously from their respective dormitories.

"Well do you lot want to go to the Great Hall? I'm starved," Ron suggested with a yawn, "Bit drowsy too."

"Let's go." Hermione said, shutting the book she had in her lap and placing in gingerly into her bag.

Upon entering the Great Hall Addie felt a sudden burst of energy. She was fascinated by the gathering of students and motivated by her desire to remain the center of attention. She spoke candidly with Fred and George about the appropriate response to being asked out by Eloise Midgen, despite her not knowing who Eloise Midgen was; graciously accepted coffee from an apologetic Seamus Finnegan, and consciously avoided the stares of Draco Malfoy. Addie felt as though she was a queen who had finally taken her throne. The Gryffindors were enthralled with her, the Hufflepuffs admired her, the Ravenclaws respected her, and the Slytherins were envious of her. Life at Hogwarts was as good as life for Addie White could be, and she intended to live it to the fullest.

The day proved to be a much easier transition for Addie, as she found that the teachers and classes were far more inviting. As she entered the charms classroom she participated in a debate over whether or not Hermione's elf hats were hats at all, and felt herself flush red when she noticed that Harry was laughing at her jokes.

"So how's this class?" Addie asked Harry. "Is it alright? Or will I have to resort to doodling again?"

"Charms is all well and good. Flitwick is a good teacher." The quartet sat together, and Addie made sure that she was sitting to Harry's right, in between him and Ron and two seats down from Hermione.

"Good Morning class!" A tiny man said from behind a podium. Addie attempted, for the first time since the start of term, to attempt to pay attention. She had an uncanny ability for charming others, but when it came to charming objects even her mother admitted that she was hopeless. This idea was reinforced once again as the class moved to review Summoning Charms, and by the end Hermione had graciously offered herself up as a tutor.

"Charms isn't my best subject," Addie said, with a hint of embarrassment.

"Everyone has a weakness," Harry said.

Addie looked up at him from behind her dark lashes, and smiled flirtatiously, "What's yours?"

Ron and Hermione paused to look at them as Harry's hand shot up to tug on his collar. There was a long silence before Ron decided it was time to speak.

"Well, I would imagine Harry has several weaknesses, but I know his strength is in Defense Against the Dark Arts. He's right good at that."

Harry looked down at the ground, "I'm alright."

"Harry, you're the best in our year and you know it!" Hermione smiled, and shot a glance at Addie, "Don't be so modest."

Addie's confidence was restored in Transfiguration where, though she did not manage to entirely vanish her mouse, it was noticeably translucent. She and Hermione collectively earned fifteen points for Gryffindor. Hermione, for vanishing her mouse, and Addie for her noble attempt, but it was in Care of Magical Creatures that the day truly became interesting.

"I haven't seen him at all this year!" Hermione said.

"Who?" Addie asked, "Who's missing?"

"Well are you sure he didn't say anything about leaving?" Ron asked, ignoring me.

"WHO?" Addie asked again louder.

"Hagrid," Harry replied fianlly, "He's the keeper of grounds at Hogwarts and Care of Magical Creatures Teacher."

"Oh, I know who that is," Addie smiled triumphantly, "My mum told me he was on work for the Order. She said he was a right brave soul for doing what he's doing."

The trio stopped to turn and stare at Addie in disbelief, and she stood up taller in their admiration.

"Did she say anything else?" Harry asked anxiously. "Do you know where he is?"

"No," She shrugged, "Why were you guy's friends with him?"

"Yes" Harry said with a hint of sadness in his voice, "Close friends…"

The day was warm and breezy as they stepped out onto the grounds. The weather had a strange effect on Addie. On days when it was cold and dreary, she felt cold and dreary, but on a day such as that one, when the weather was warm and charming and everything looked just a little bit more beautiful, Addie was warm, charming, and beautiful.

She took the time outside as an opportunity to pick some of the more exotic wildflowers that grew on the grounds, humming loudly as she did. When she was finished she looked over to see Ron and Hermione laughing, but Harry merely staring. His expression was unreadable. It was a subtle stare, and she doubted either Ron or Hermione even noticed it, but its presence made Addie self-conscious. She stopped for a moment, unsure of what to do. She was rarely embarrassed, and rarely so aware of herself. She could feel the breeze flowing beneath the fabric of her robes. She could feel the sweat on her hands as it mixed with the pollen from the wildflowers, and she could feel her face reddening under Harry's scrutiny. Eventually, when the feeling grew too intense, she turned her back on the trio and made her way down to Care of Magical Creatures.

Addie arrived quickly and took a moment to lean up against a nearby tree and regain her thoughts. Her fellow Gryffindors were smiling at her and beckoning for her to come and join them at their end of the table that had been placed in the middle of the field, but she merely waved them away. She turned quickly to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the distance and took a deep breath.

"Addie," A drawling voice said from behind her, "I haven't seen you in a while."

She turned to see Draco Malfoy, leaning up against the hut, staring at her. There was nothing particularly different about demeanor or appearance. His voice had the same dark quality that she had loved in her childhood. He looked at her with the same cool confidence he always had, but somehow she felt differently. The desire to run to him and fling her arms around him had gone, and in its place was a desire to walk away in disgust.

"What now, Malfoy?" She spat as she turned around, "I'm trying to go talk to—to Seamus. I don't need any distractions."

"Why don't you stay here with me, and let me distract you some more?" He asked.

He put a cold hand around her waist and pulled her close to him. He was quick, but Addie was quicker.

"Bad move," She said, pulling her wand out of my pocket and pointing it right between his eyes.

"Don't touch me, again."

Just in time, Hermione, Ron, and Harry took their places at the table, and Addie turned to join them, not sparing Malfoy a second glance.

"Alright students, gather round!" A tall woman called, "I'm Professor Grubbly-Plank."

"Can anyone tell me what these are?" she asked, indicating the twigs on the table in front of her.

Hermione's hand immediately shot into the air, behind her Addie could see Malfoy doing a cruel yet accurate impression. He noticed her staring and winked, and she returned the favor with a rude gesture and several mumbled obscenities.

"Bowtruckles," Hermione informed the class, "They're tree guardians, and they eat wood lice."

"Excellent five points for Gryffindor."

The teacher explained to the class all about bowtruckles, and how you can tell them apart from regular twigs, but Addie was too distracted to listen. She had stood next to Harry for the lesson and his smell was intoxicating. He fascinated her. The way his messy black hair fell into his green eyes made Addie want to run her fingers through the hair itself. And then there were his eyes, so full of anger and determination. She wanted so badly to become apart of those eyes. She wanted to see herself in their reflection.

The class was called to gather round in order to feed the woodlice. Harry, Ron, and Hermione immediately began a discussion about Hagrid while Addie tried to follow along.

"I just…wish I knew where he was," Hermione sighed.

"Maybe…" Malfoy said darkly, leaning over the table, "He's gotten himself badly injured."

Addie's eyes met his and she saw the malice that had spread across his face.

_How could he be like this?_ She thought. _I knew him so well…._

"Maybe you will too Malfoy…" Harry replied shortly.

"Messing with stuff too big for him if you know what I mean…." He turned to walk away and then turned over he shoulder and said, "Oh, and Addie, if you ever decide to come 'round you know where to find me."

Each encounter with Draco was more confusing than the first. Addie had once considered Draco her closest friend, and now he was turning into an enemy. How could she have known him for so long yet know so little about him?

She didn't want to think anymore, so she turned and began to concentrate on her bowtruckles. She enjoyed working with magical creatures for the most part, and found that she had a gentle disposition that attracted them to her. She handled her bowtruckle with care, and in return she finished long before any other member of the class.

"Ow!" She heard a voice cry.

Addie turned around to see Harry, nursing his hand, and Malfoy, laughing. The same temper she had felt rising the previous night with Harry, rose once more, though this time it was directed at an old friend.

"Oh Harry!" She exclaimed. "Are you hurt?"

She could feel Malfoy's gaze on her already, "Did it bite you?"

Harry looked up at her and cautiously showed her his hand. There was a large bite mark in the center and Addie took his palm in hers. She then swept a ribbon out of her hair and tied it around Harry's hand.

"If there was any dorianus out here I could really help you," She said, slightly disappointed.

"What's that?" Harry asked, neglecting to take his hand out of hers.

"It's just this herb that grows in certain forests, not here though. It's too cold here, but it grows on islands and things and heals most shallow cuts," Addie smiled.

"How do you know that?" Harry asked.

"I'd really like to be a Healer," Addie replied with a strange sense of embarrassment.

"Really?" Harry asked.

"Yes," She replied, her eyes at her feet. "It's silly though. I'm never going to become a Healer."

"Why not?" Harry asked quietly.

"I don't know I just…I just don't think I'll ever become a Healer," She replied sadly.

There was a pause as the two of them both stared sadly at his shoes.

"Malfoy looks pretty angry," Harry said finally, nodding his head in Malfoy's direction.

"Yeah," Addie said breathily, not bother to turn toward him, "He's probably jealous."

Harry then removed his hand from Addie's palm and muttered a 'thank you' before returning to Ron and Hermione.

Addie followed a few paces behind him, trying to make sense of their last encounter.

"Hi!" A pretty red haired girl said cheerfully as the quartet arrived at the Herbology classroom. "What happened to your hand?"

"A bowtruckle bit it…" Harry muttered.

"Oh let me see," The girl said, taking Harry's hand and unraveling Addie's ribbon. "It doesn't look like anything to me. Don't be such a baby."

Harry looked at his hand and raised his eyebrows, "That's strange."

"What?" Addie asked.

"It's just—well this was—this was bleeding before," He said.

Addie looked over at his hand, not daring to take it in hers again, "That is strange. The cut is gone."

"Well that's good, isn't it?" Ron laughed. "Why complain?"

Addie, in an attempt to be friendly, turned toward the pretty red-haired girl, "Hello, who are you?"

"Ginny Weasley," She replied brightly. "And I of course know who you are."

"_Another _Weasley?" She asked. "Got any more?"

"Not that go to this school, but I have three older brothers."

"Wow!" She laughed.

We all stood for a moment, Harry fiddling with the Addie's ribbon which he had kept tightly in his hand.

Addie decided to separate herself from Harry for a little while and sidled up to Seamus Finnegan once they had entered Herbology.

"Hello Seamus," I smiled. "Mind sharing a pot with me?"

"It would be an honor," He smiled, pushing the materials in between the two of us. Addie smiled as she noticed him exchange winks with his friend across the way.

"I must warn you though, I'm useless at Herbology. I usually partner with Neville because he's so good," Seamus indicated the round faced boy that Addie recognized from the previous day's potions class, and she made a mental note of his name.

"Don't worry," Addie smiled. "Herbology is kind of my thing."

The two kept up their playful flirtation throughout Herbology, but Addie's mind was elsewhere. She watched as Harry, Ron, and Hermione huddled together at the far end of the table and realized that she had only scratched the surface of their friendship. She wanted to know more

The same foreign feeling was reinforced at dinner as the three of them continued their conversation. Addie watched the three of them, heads bent closely together, and felt an overwhelming desire for true friendship. She had never coveted anything in life that she couldn't get immediately, but this she would have to work for. She was up for the challenge.

"Where's Harry?" Addie asked Hermione once everyone had returned to the common room.

"Detention, remember?" Hermione replied, "Didn't he say goodbye to you during dinner?"

"No…I guess not…" She mumbled, opening her potions book with significant force.

"You like him don't you?" She asked over her book, "That's why you're asking."

"I do not!" Addie laughed loudly, "What are the properties of moonstone?"

"Well I think you do," She pressed on, "and I'm just warning you that he has had quite a crush on Cho Chang for quite a long time."

"That fabulous." Addie replied shortly." Now about that moonstone…"

"I mean I'm sure _you _of all people could get you to forget Cho…"

"I DO NOT LIKE HARRY POTTER!" Addie yelled, causing a first year to fall out of her chair. "I'm going to bed!"

She stormed out of the common room, knocking things out of her way as she raged up the stairs. The girls dormitory was empty and Addie threw herself on the bed and buried her face into her pillow.

"I like Harry Potter," She said quietly.


	4. Quidditch Tryouts

Addie spent the night troubled by strange dreams. She could see herself standing in a room surrounded by people in shadows. No one noticed her. Finally, at the end of the dream, she saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione, their heads buried in conversation. She called out to them, but not a one looked up.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked at breakfast.

"Meh," Addie replied nearly falling asleep in her porridge.

"So how was detention with Umbridge?" Hermione asked." What did she make you do?"

"Lines," Harry said rather quickly, "Just lines…"

"Well that's not that bad!" Hermione said cheerfully. "At least it wasn't something awful."

Addie took every possible opportunity that day to fall asleep in class. She was amazed at how difficult traditional schooling was, and almost longed for the flexible hours and personal attention she had received from her tutors at home. Due to her constant napping, Addie found herself wide awake by the middle of the day and decided to take that opportunity to explore the grounds and catch up on her reading. She brought with her a particularly ominous potions book and settled herself under a tree to quietly continue her studies and soak up the cool autumn air.

Students gathered in the courtyard to play with fanged Frisbees and practice enchanting the fallen leaves. She looked up to see all of the friendships that had already been established, and longed to be a permanent member of a group, rather than a floating leader of every group she came across.

"Hello Addie," She looked up to see that Harry had settled down next to her. Her heart pounded faster in her chest, and she fixed her eyes on the page.

"What brings you out here Harry?" She asked." Shouldn't you be inside with the others?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" He laughed, "Where are your hordes of admirers?"

"They've taken a break, it seems." Addie shrugged.

There was a moment of silence and then, "So you like Cho Chang…"

The words had come out of Addie's mouth before she had time to stop them. She looked up to see Harry tugging on the rim of his collar and looking embarrassed. Her heart sank as what Hermione had told her the previous night proved to be very true.

"W—Who told you?" he stammered. "N—Not that I do I just…"

"Well it's obvious," She said coolly." She's nice."

Jealousy was an emotion new to Addie, and ever since she arrived at Hogwarts it was emerging more and more frequently. In that moment she longed to return to her previous life, in which anything she wanted she could have had just by making a well placed call to her mother.

She looked up at Harry. His black hair was falling in its usual untidy way, and without any help it perfectly framed his bright green eyes. His thin rimmed glasses didn't take away any of the natural attractiveness of his face. He was maybe an inch taller than she was, but still small.

_That must be what makes him such a good Seeker._ She thought.

"I'm trying out for Chaser," She said at once, trying to change the subject." I hear you're an excellent Seeker."

"I'm alright," He laughed.

"I'm amazing." She replied. She smiled and tossed her hair out of her eyes, dreaming of the day when she could play Quidditch again..

"Not very modest are you?" Harry said, his tone unreadable.

"Why should I be?" Addie replied coolly. "I know I'm amazing, so why not say it?"

"Ah!" Harry exclaimed jumping out of his seat, "Five O'clock I have to go see Umbridge."

He thrust his hands into his pockets and ran away without so much as a goodbye. Addie watched him until he entered the castle.

_Of all the boys in school, you had to fall for Harry Potter_. She sighed.

Addie stayed outside until most of the students had gone. She enjoyed her time alone; she hadn't had any since she had come to Hogwarts. Tiny stars started to appear in the sky, and the sounds of night surrounded her. She lay undisturbed for at least an hour, until she heard hurried footsteps behind me.

"Ron?" Addie called, looking back at the tall red haired boy, "What are you doing here?"

"I…err…" He stammered, his ears going red. It only took a moment for Addie to notice he was carrying a broomstick.

"What's that for?" She asked.

"I'm trying out for keeper…" He muttered, "And I wanted it to be a secret."

"That's fantastic Ron!" Addie exclaimed, finally moving from her spot under the tree.

"I'm trying as Chaser! I'll go get my broom we can practice!"

"Actually," Ron began, looking even more embarrassed, "I would prefer to do this alone."

"Suit yourself," Addie shrugged." And don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks…" He mumbled.

As Addie walked toward the castle she realized that it must have been very late. The moon hung low over the grounds and the sounds of night surrounded her. The Gryffindor common room was starting to empty and the good seats by the fire were no longer occupied. She took advantage of the peace and finished up the last of her homework. The common room was completely deserted by the time she got up to bed, and she enjoyed going to sleep in silence.

The rest of the week passed itself by, and next thing Addie knew it was Friday, the day of the Quidditch tryouts. The day was as beautiful as ever, and as soon as classes let out Addie hurried outside to warm up before tryouts officially began.

She pulled out her Electric Sweep 960. It was a one of a kind broom given to her as a gift from a broom maker who had borderline stalked her mother. The broom itself was electric pink, and flew relatively well compared to the newest Nimbus model, but was nothing compared to Harry's Firebolt. The brand itself had gone out of business ages ago, and you hardly saw them on the playing field at all. They had proved to be far too expensive for the average wizard, and far too flashy to be picked up by any major Quidditch team.

Addie was pleased to see that a crowd had gathered in the stands, presumably to watch tryouts, and she mounted her broom with ease and blew a kiss at the crowd. She circled the field several times, in hopes that she could reverse her tendency to make careless errors on the field. When she landed, the students that remained in the stands clapped and whistled and Addie took a bow.

"You fly well." A girls voice said as Addie slung her broom over her shoulder and shot a final charming glance at the crowd. It was Cho Chang. Addie felt her temper rising in her stomach, and she forced herself to take a deep breath and smile.

She wasn't ugly. Addie begrudgingly acknowledged that her long black hair was enticing and her smile had a certain simple charm. She was quite small, about a head shorter than Harry, and based on the books she was carrying in her arm, a year older.

"Thanks," Addie replied, charming as ever, "You play?"

She straightened up a bit, "I'm the Seeker for the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team."

"Exciting," Addie replied, with more sarcasm than she intended.

"I'm trying out for Gryffindor," Addie said quickly, realizing she had been rude, "I play Chaser—well—hopefully—"

"Well good luck!" She said." We're going up to the library…..would you like to come?"

Addie was faced with a difficult decision. She was torn between her desire to never see Cho Chang again, and her desire to know all that she could. Then, from deep within her conscience, she heard her mother's voice.

"_If someone has something that you want, it's just a matter of finding out how they got it so that you can take it from them. I've gotten everything I've ever dreamed of that way, whether or not it belonged to someone else first."_

"Sure," Addie smiled, eyeing Cho with veiled greed. "I would love to."

Addie found that spending time with Cho was surprisingly enjoyable. Addie, along with Cho's friends, laughed about boys who they thought were cute (Harry, however, was not mentioned) and giggled about their prospects at being asked to the next Hogsmeade trip. As the conversation died down, Addie pulled out the same potions book from the night before

"W—What book is that?" Cho stammered.

"_Elements of Potion Making_" Addie replied from behind her book, "For Snape's class I—"

Addie stopped mid-sentence. As she looked up she noticed that Cho had burst into tears and thrown her head down on the table as her friends all gathered round her.

"That was the book I was r—reading when C—Cedric asked me to the Yule Ball!" She whaled burying her head in her friends arm.

Addie was alarmed. She looked from Cho to her friends in confusion and one of them, a Hufflepuff named Tina, took Addie to the side.

"You've heard of Cedric Diggory right?" She whispered.

"He's the one that—well—you know. The other champion," Addie said, still not understanding.

"Well when he…you know…he was her boyfriend."

"Oh," Addie said looking down at Cho as tears poured down her face. This, she imagined, was the type of information her mother would have suggested she used, but now that she had obtained it she wasn't sure if she wanted to use it at all.

"I think I'll be going…" Addie said quickly, hoping to avoid the situation entirel.

On her way out she ran into Harry.

"Hey," She said, out of breath from both the intensity of the moments before and the quickness with which she left the library.

"Hey," Harry replied vaguely, "You been practicing?"

"Yeah, just fine tuning my skills." She laughed.

"Well you'd better get down there." He said looking at his watch, "It's five minutes to five right now."

"WHAT?" Addie exclaimed. She darted down the hall, pushing smaller students out of her way and making it to the Quidditch pitch just as the tryouts had begun.

"Welcome to Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts." A pretty black girl with long, braided hair said." I'm the captain and Chaser Angelina Johnson."

Addie stood up straighter in line, and waited for instructions.

"Let me introduce the rest of the team." She said professionally, "These are our beaters, Fred and George Weasley."

Fred and George both stepped forward and bowed to the team. George took a moment to wink at Addie.

"This is our other Chaser Alicia Spinnet, and our seeker Harry Potter couldn't make it to tryouts." She added bitterly.

"So let's try some basic flying drills shall we?" She clapped her hands together, "I want you to get on your broom and weave through the three goal posts, touch ground in a dive, and do it again."

"How many times?" A small blonde girl asked.

Angelina thought for a moment, "Until you can't take it anymore."

Everyone mounted their brooms in turn and started their rounds. Addie quickly overtook a small third-year girl who she'd heard earlier claiming she had the best turn radius at Hogwarts. She looked behind her briefly to see Ron somewhere in the middle of the flock. His technique was good, but she noticed that he would have to manage weaving through the goals better if he wanted to be a successful Keeper.

_Nothing training can't fix._ I thought.

The drill was finished, for most, after the seventh go around, but Addie continued long after. Finally, after the rain had gotten far stronger than it had been as the tryouts started, Angelina called for Addie to stop.

Then the group was divided into those who desired to play as Keeper and those who desired to play Chaser. Addie slung her broom over her shoulder and stood at the front of the Chaser line, watching as the others jealously eyed her. Angelina told them that each Chaser would be paired with a Keeper and the two would attempt to either score or block goals.

Addie looked over to Ron who had also placed himself at the front of the Keeper line, and realized the two would be playing off each other. His ears reddened at he looked at her, and she could see him suck in a nervous breath. Addie was clearly a very talented Chaser. Her desires both to play well and go easy on Ron we irreconcilable, and Addie never chose someone over herself, so she played as well as she could despite being opposite her friend.

By the end of the tryout, Addie was sure that she would be Chaser and that, unfortunately, the third-year blonde girl named Vicky Forbisher would be playing Keeper over Ron.

"Well, each team member is going to ask you a question, just to get a feel of your attitude." Angelina said.

The questioning started at the beginning of the line, and progressed predictably, "How often can you practice?" "How dedicated are you?"

When they reached Addie, however, the tone of the questions changed dramatically.

"Will you be afraid to get dirty?" Alicia Spinnet asked maliciously. "Because we get a bit muddy, you know."

"Considering the fact that I'm covered in mud right now, _Miss Spinnet_, I'm guessing that would be a _no._" Addie answered, a sweet smile on her face. She could hear Fred and George laughing in the background.

"How are your grades? You're not failing anything are you?" Angelina asked with the same sly tone as Alicia.

"No, I'm not failing anything. As far as I know, I've got pretty good marks, you can check for yourself."

The questions moved along to Fred who, to Addie's surprised, asked a legitimate question, "How well do you think you did so far?"

"I think I was the best," Addie said with conviction.

"Me too," Fred smiled.

"Do you think I'm the more attractive twin?" George asked, striking a pose.

Addie looked from Fred to George and laughed, "I think I'll keep that answer to myself."

The team gathered into a huddle and the soaking prospective players all stood in silence waiting for the verdict.

"You all played well," Angelina said, "But we can only take two of you."

The air tensed. Addie felt her palms sweating. She knew that if they were choosing based on skill that she was the clear winner, but if they were choosing based on something else…

"As Chaser," Angelina began with a flare of dramatics, "Addie White."

Addie smiled graciously and congratulated the three other prospective Chasers who stood behind her, then joined the team in line and exchanged smiles with the Weasley twins.

"As Keeper," Angelina Began.

Addie could see Ron's ears reddening and fought a desire to look away.

"Ron Weasley," She announced.

Vicky Forbisher threw her broom on the ground and stormed off the pitch, leaving behind a series of swear words. The other potential Keeper, a small fourth-year, shook Ron's hand with a stony determination and left the pitch quickly. Ron paused for a moment, unsure of what to do, and then walked nervously toward the team.

"But I was so—so bad!" He whispered.

"You were brilliant!" Addie lied, "Amazing, fabulous, one of a kind."

Addie stopped herself there, and followed the team back to the Gryffindor common room. Fred and George, to Addie's delight, managed to conjure up a few Butterbeers in order to celebrate Ron and Addie's addition to the team, and she enjoyed herself sitting fireside with George. They laughed and drank while Hermione fell asleep in one of the chairs by the fire. Mid-way through the festivities Harry emerged through the porthole looking pensive.

The two new team member leapt from their seats and ran to Harry, nearly spilling their Butterbeers in the process.

"WE MADE IT!" They both yelled.

"I'm Chaser!" Addie exclaimed happily.

"Harry, I'm Keeper can you believe it?" Ron said, with a tentative smile on his face. Addie smiled along, pretending that she had the confidence that he was the best player for the job.

"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked. Addie couldn't help but notice his smile falter slightly as he saw her asleep in her chair.

"She was happy about it when I told her…" He muttered.

The night progressed and eventually the population of the common room dwindled down to Addie, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Listen guys…" Harry said feverishly, "When I was up in Umbridge's room….she touched my arm and…I got this pain in my scar."

Hermione and Ron looked horrified, but Addie was unaffected.

"Umm…excuse me for being the new kid," Addie inturrupted, "But why does that matter?"

"Because!" Harry exclaimed, "My scar hurts when Voldemort is near!"

"I'll try to remember that," Addie muttered. "Continue."

"Do you think she's being controlled like Quirrell?" Hermione asked.

"He has a body now it cant be that..."

Addie, once again, was lost in the conversation, but decided it was best that she not ask any more questions.

"Maybe you should talk to Dumbledore," She suggested, "He could help."

"I'm not going to bother him. It's not that big of a deal I mean…it hurt a lot all summer, and with Voldemort back I suppose it would. It was just different tonight."

"Harry," Hermione said critically, "I'm sure Dumbledore would want to know…"

"Yeah cause my scar is the only thing he cares about!" He said angrily.

"Don't say that Harry…" Hermione put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Wait," Addie interjected. "Isn't Sirius Black your godfather? Why don't you write to him?"

"That's a brilliant idea!" Harry smiled.

Addie's stomach tightened once more and she smiled in return.

"How did you know that?" Ron asked.

"Well my mum didn't send me to Hogwarts with absolutely no idea what was going on!" Addie laughed.

"Brilliant idea or no, you can't put that in writing!" Hermione exclaimed, "It could be intercepted!"

"Alright, but it was still a good idea." Harry shared a small smile with Addie, and she felt herself weaken at the knees.

"I'm tired," She yawned, "See you tomorrow, Harry."

"Yeah," He said, "See you tomorrow."


	5. Fireside Chat

Addie's first though the next morning was "Saturday". She allowed the blankets to sink around her as she lay in bed, realizing that she had at least two more hours of sleep left. She smiled and buried her head in the pillow, and didn't wake up until later that afternoon.

"Good morning Hermione!" She said happily jumping out of bed. "I feel very rejuvenated this morning!"

"I can tell." She laughed.

Addie rummaged through her trunk and decided on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt for the band _Lumos_, one of her favorites.

"Hurry up." Hermione instructed. "Harry and Ron are waiting in the common room."

_Harry_! Addie thought. _I don't look pretty enough to see Harry._

"Go down there and occupy them." She replied. "There are a few more things I have to do."

Addie waited until Hermione had cleared the door to rush back to her trunk and pull out the makeup and hair serum she thought she'd never use. She pulled her brown hair into a braid which she twisted at the back of her head, and carefully applied her makeup. She changed the jeans into a skirt and stood in front of her mirror examening every possibly angle before finally deciding to go downstairs.

When Addie came down the stairs she saw that Harry was waiting for her.

"Hi Harry!" She greeted cheerfully.

"Hey Addie!" Harry replied more happily than usual. "Ron and Hermione are waiting for us down in the Great Hall."

"What has you in such a good mood?" She asked, hoping that he had noticed how her legs looked peaking out from under her skirt.

"I saw Cho this morning." He whispered, "And she said I was brave for what I said to Umbridge."

"I could have told you that…" Addie muttered as her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. As they walked down to the hall Harry solicited Addie's advice.

"Do you think she likes me?" He asked.

"I don't know…" She replied, keeping her answers short.

She quickened her pace, hoping that Harry would catch her subtle aversion to speaking with him about Cho, but he kept on.

"Look Potter," She said finally, spinning to face him, "If she likes you then she'll tell you and if she doesn't well…well that's her problem."

She then turned on her heels, her skirt trailing slightly behind her, and entered the Great Hall. She only felt slightly better after several first-year boys were rendered speechless by her asking them to pass the jam, and she and Harry too their seats near Ron and Hermione.

"What are you so cheerful about?" Ron asked.

Harry shot Addie a knowing look, "Quidditch practice."

The morning post arrived and Addie was happy to see her usual letter from her mother accompanied by a box of sweets.

"Look Addie," Hermione said, "It's an article about you."

She handed over her copy of the _Daily Prophet_ and Addie sighed as she read the title.

"Oh joy…"

_HOGWARTS IS 'WHITE' AGAIN_

_Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry has had its fair share of students._ _But this writer doubts that they have had one as highly anticipated as this. Picture this: Students_ _arriving for their start of term feast, tension rising in the air. The frightened_ _first years all file in to be sorted. As the last name is called out, not a sound can beheard throughout the Great Hall. They've all been waiting for one person, and now was her time to arrive. The back doors open and a rush of fresh_ _air fills the hall as Addie White steps through the doorway. She flips her shoulder-length brown hair out of her dark brown eyes, as she enters the room. All_ _the rumors have been confirmed, she looks just like her mother. _

_The same eyes_ _same legs, same beautiful face we have all seen grace the cover of every witch's_ _magazine, the resemblance is almost frightening. She walks down the long aisle_ _with the same confidence her mother had every time she walked down a run way._ _It almost made you think the White family was incapable of embarrassment. She_ _put on the tattered old hat her mother had worn many years before her, and it_ _called out the same words, "Gryffindor". A deafening cheer can be heard from the_ _Gryffindor table, as she strides over, flipping her hair over one shoulder. The boys_ _are all checking their hair in their empty plates, and the girls are smoothing their_ _skirts. She seems unaffected by her new found popularity, as she walks through_ _the halls people go out of their way to say hello, and she waves and smiles back._

"_She's a very nice girl." Says Draco Malfoy, a Slytherin 6th year, "I've known_ _her my whole life and we've been dating for some time now."_

_Though, of course, Hogwarts has known one other eagerly awaited celebrity, though the _Daily Prophet_ sincerely hopes that this new celebrity takes her fame in stride rather than in malice._

"Isn't that lovely?" Addie said sarcastically, tossing the paper over to Hermione. "I wouldn't let Harry read that." She whispered.

Hermione nodded and scanning the newspaper, "Oh my goodness!" She said after a moment or two. "The Ministry has received word that Sirius is in London!" she whispered frantically.

"It was Mr. Malfoy." Harry said in a low whisper. "He recognized him as the dog by the train."

"As the dog?" Addie asked.

"Sirius is an animagus." Harry replied shortly. "He can turn into a dog."

"Oh…" Addie said, making a mental note.

As the trio continued talking about Sirius, Addie took the newspaper gingerly out of Hermione's hand and began to read for herself. She turned casually to the middle page after reading about Fudge's new policy on Grindylow imports, and was met immediately with unpleasant news.

"Hey guys…" She interrupted, "Here's an article about Sturgis Podmore. It says he tried to break into some door at the Ministry, and now he's going to serve six months in Azkaban! He's in the Order isn't he?"

"Give that here!" Hermione snatched the paper out of my hand and the three of them huddled around the article to read. The trio talked amongst themselves about the incident at the Ministry and try as she might to involve herself in their conversation, Addie found that it was no use.

_I could be friends with anyone in this school, and they'd be happy to have me! _Addie thought angrily. _I'll be the fourth member of their little group, even if it's the last thing I do! _

After breakfast Harry invited Ron and Addie to the Quidditch pitch to practice. Addie was relieved that she had decided to complete her homework during the week, and now she had free time on the weekend. She played Chaser along with Harry and Ron, of course, played Keeper. Addie, who had given Ron a hard time at rehearsals, allowed him a few easy shots to boost his confidence. Harry was clearly a more skilled flyer than she was, but the position of Chaser belonged to Addie White. The longer they played the more goals Ron blocked, until he was blocking at least three quarters of Harry's and nearly half of Addie's.

After they were done practicing, they realized that _actual_ Quidditch practice would start momentarily and they headed off toward their respective dressing rooms.

"You fit perfectly in Katie's old uniform." George said after Addie had altered Katie's uniform to fit her. "But then again you fit perfectly in most things."

"Why thank you," Addie giggled. "I try."

"You don't have to." He replied.

At that moment Angelina came in from the Captains office looking frazzled, "Well lets get started then. If Fred and George can bring in the ball crate that would be wonderful." She paused for a moment, "Oh and…there are a few people out there but err…don't let it distract you."

The team could sense that Angelina was more nervous than she let on, but kept smiles on for her sake. Addie fixed her hair in the mirror and strode on to the pitch. To her dismay, upon our arrival she was greeted by the smirking faces of Draco Malfoy, the pug-like girl whose name she had learned was Pansy, and Malfoy's two cronies all standing at the front of a large group of Slytherins.

"Weasley!" Malfoy called as Ron walked onto the pitch. "Did you put a flying charm on a moldy old log? That can't possibly be your broom?"

The Slytherins shrieked with laughter and Addie clenched her fists as she saw Ron's face redden. She ran to catch up with him.

"Don't listen to them Ron." She whispered putting my arm over his shoulder, "You're great."

She swooped down and kissed him on the cheek and smiled to herself as she saw his ears redden further.

"T—T—Thanks…"He stammered.

"Addie?" Malfoy called in astonishment, "You're on this sorry excuse for a Quidditch team?"

"That's right Malfoy. I'm the Chaser." She spat turning to face him. "Is there a problem?"

He took a step closer, making himself at least an inch from Addie's face, "I thought you could sink no lower."

"I'm not going out with you yet am I?" She retorted.

"Oh and by the way," She called over her shoulder, "Next time you want to tell the _Daily Prophet_ we're dating. Remember to mention that you're talking about your fantasies."

She turned her back on him, held her head high, and walked onto the pitch.

"Just ignore them…" Harry whispered, "We'll see whose laughing in a few moments."

"That's the attitude I want to see Harry!" Angelina said mounting her broom, "Alright so we're just gonna work on some passing drills for right now."

"HEY ANGELINA!" Pansy shrieked, " WHAT'S WITH YOUR HAIR ANYWAY? WHO WOULD WANT TO LOOK LIKE THEY HAVE SNAKES COMING OUT OF THEIR HEAD?"

She shrieked with laughter, "I would be quiet if I were you Parkinson" Addie shouted.

"Because your frizzy mess is no more fun to look at!"

Pansy was rendered speechless, and Addie continued, "Come to think of it, none of you is fun to look at. Have you ever considered wearing a paper bag?"

The Gryffindors roared with laughter and practice continued. The Slytherins hurled insults at them for the duration of the session, but noticeably avoided Addie, though that hardly stopped her from responding.

Though Addie was unaffected by Slytherin malice, she noticed that Ron's performance suffered greatly. He had a hard time defending the goals, and he looked increasingly nervous with every Slytherin jeer. When he finally did catch the Quaffle he threw it back so enthusiastically that it hit Addie square in the jaw. As the ball came in contact with her face, she felt something slide down the back of her throat. Immediately assuming that it was a tooth, Addie dismounted her broom in hysterics.

"I've lost a tooth!" She cried melodramatically, one hand covering her bleeding nose.

"I don't think so…" George said darkly, glancing at Fred.

"I felt it! I think I swallowed it!" She moaned.

Addie's nose continued to bleed steadily, bolstering her hysterics. Fred and George insisted upon taking her to see the nurse, and as they passed the Slytherin crowd only Pansy dared laugh.

"I think you swallowed a blood blisterpod by mistake…"

"YOU THINK I SWOLLOWED A WHAT?" Addie exclaimed, removing my hand as blood dripped down her nose

"Here…this is the antidote take it quick." Fred whispered.

She did, and her nose stopped bleeding instantaneously.

"Well…that's a relief." George sighed.

Addie's temper, which had been pushed to it's limits, exploded in that moment. She withdrew her wand and muttered a curse so powerful that it sent both Weasleys careening into the nearest wall where they remained stuck.

"If I ever," She began, breathing heavily, "Have to go through that again I will rip you both limb from limb, and you will be in so much pain you will wish I had left you to the Whomping Willow."

The twins nodded quickly and Addie lifted her wand to remove them from the wall.

"Damn, Addie." George said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're a lot stronger than I thought you were, but did you really have to curse us?"

"I'm a lot of things people don't think I am…." Addie muttered, "And yes, I did have to curse you."

"We're going up to the library." George said softly, "You…want to come?"

"I think I'll stick around," She answered, "You know….hang out under the stars pondering the mysteries of life.."

"That's alright." He said, looking slightly disappointed. "We'll see each other some other time."

Addie watched, with some regret, as Fred and George headed toward the castle. She looked down to see that her robes had been stained with blood from her nose, and she took to the dressing room to clean up.

"_Rumuerto_" She said softly, tapping her blood stained robes. The blood cleared instantly and Addie placed her robes back in the cabinet.

As she ambled toward the castle she heard the soft crunching of leaves behind her. She spun around quickly, her hand on her wand, to see Draco Malfoy looking pitifully at her.

"What do you want?" She spat, her hand still at her wand.

"Look…Adds…" He began, using Addie's old nickname, "Please forgive me. It's only when I'm with my friends that I'm like that and…."

"Well that's a great way to make friends Malfoy." She snapped. "Act like a jerk so they'll think you're really brilliant and tough.

She turned to walk away and only got a few steps before she felt a firm grip on her shoulder. She turned to face Malfoy and found her nose only inches away from his. The autumn air blew through his hair and the coldness in his eyes melted away. She felt as though she was looking at the boy from her past.

"Adds…" He began slowly. "Please, don't throw away all the years you and me have shared over something like this."

"Draco," Addie breathed, "You've changed. I don't know who you are anymore. It wasn't my decision that made us this way."

She took one last look and then turned toward the castle. She walked quickly in case he followed and then, once she was safe behind castle doors peered out the window to see if he was watching. He was. His expression, however, had changed. The pleading love that had been in his eyes as they spoke had hardened once more into anger and she saw him kick the ground hard before stalking off toward the castle. Addie hurried up the stairs as she saw him approaching.

When she entered the common room she saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione gathered around the fire. She look to Ron to see that he was fiercely ripping a piece of paper to shreds.

"What's going on?" Addie asked tentatively, "Why is Ron going crazy on that piece of paper?"

"It's from his older brother Percy." Harry said quickly.

"It basically told him not to talk to me because I'm violent, that Dumbledore is a nutter, and that the Order is a bunch of criminals."

"Well, you know, there's always one bad egg in the bunch." Addie shrugged.

She turned to exchange a smile with Harry but saw him looking sadly into the fire. Perhaps this Percy had been a friend of his? Addie wished she knew more. She wished she had some context for what was going on around her. It was overwhelming.

There was a silence for a moment and then," Sirius!"

They all turned to look toward the fire where Harry had gotten to his knees. Addie did not see the usual low-burning flame but instead a face. The face of a man she had seen in photographs since she was a little girl; the face of Sirius Black.

"I was starting to worry I wouldn't get to talk to you." He laughed.

Addie knew very little about Sirius Black other than what she had discovered in an old photo album her mother had left out one day. She had always known her mother to be very wary about discussing the Sirius Black case, and she had mentioned once, only briefly, that she had known him in school.

One fateful morning when Addie was thirteen she ambled into her mother's room hoping to play with her jewelry while she was gone. What she found was a large leather bound book lying out on the desk of her mother's vanity. On the front, in cut-out letters, it read "Hogwarts". Addie, who had never even dreamed of attending Hogwarts opened up to find a photographic chronicle of her mother's school years. She saw pictures of her mother at eleven getting onto the Hogwarts express. She saw her mother at twelve and her best friend Lily sitting out on the grounds. Her mother was laughing while Lily scowled at a group of boys doing tricks across the lake. The years went on and slowly but surely a good-looking dark haired boy started to make more frequent appearances until he graced photos on every page.

The last page in the book was one of her mother's graduation. There was a photo of her mother along with five friends: James Potter, Lily Evans, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin. Underneath that photo, placed with care, was the final photo of the album. Addie recognized her mother, her eyes bright and smiling, and a man next to her on his knee. In his hand he held a small black box, and Addie could tell her mother had tears in her eyes. The man was proposing. The man was Sirius Black.

"Sirius…" Hermione began, "This is taking a terrible risk…"

"This is was the best way to answer Harry's letter." He said.

"You didn't say you wrote to Sirius!" Hermione hissed.

"I forgot…"Harry muttered, "And don't look at me like that there's no way anyone could have gotten anything from that letter? Right Sirius?"

"No it was really good…" Sirius smiled and Addie caught a glimpse of the man she recognized from the photos, "We'd best be quick. So this business about your scar…"

"I know it's not fun when it hurts but now the You-Know-Who is back it will probably be aching a lot more frequently."

"Do you think it had anything to do with Umbridge touching me?"

Addie remained quiet. She felt close to Sirius. She couldn't make out the expression behind his eyes but she felt compelled by it. It felt familiar.

"I don't think so." He said. "I mean…I've heard her reputation and she's the farthest from Death Eater you could be."

"She's evil enough to be one…" Harry murmured.

"Well the world isn't divided into good people and Death Eaters."

"Well spoken!" Addie said.

Sirius' expression changed as Addie came into view. He paused for a moment, and then smiled.

"You must be Addie." He said. His tone had taken on a certain tenderness. "You really do look like your mother."

"So I've heard." Adddie laughed.

"I haven't talked to her in years. How is she?" He asked earnestly.

"She's doing fine. She's Sherri White." Addie replied.

Sirius laughed.

"She's in the Order so I suppose you'll see her soon enough."

"So I've heard." His eyes shimmered. "Any news of when?"

"No, but I'll ask her for you though." Addie smiled at the look on his face.

Addie had known that Sirius Black was innocent since the very day she had found the photo album. She guessed her mother had heard the news earlier in the day and had taken the photo album out as a result of rekindled nostalgia. Later that evening, her mother had sat her down and the dinner table and explained how Sirius had been framed. She told Addie that, for personal reasons, it was very important that she understand that Sirius Black was a good man, and that he had done what he could to protect his friends. Addie never mentioned to her mother finding the album.

"So what's Umbridge's class like?" Sirius asked ,returning to the original subject.

"She teaching you to kill half breeds yet? She hates them you know."

"All we do is read out of the damn text book." Ron said.

"That figures…" Sirius laughed, "We've received some information that Fudge doesn't want you trained in combat."

"He doesn't want us….what?" Harry repeated stupidly, "Does he think we're forming some sort of….wizard army?"

"Actually…" Sirius laughed, "He does. He thinks Dumbledore will use whatever means necessary to become Minister of Magic. He's getting more and more Dumbledore obsessed by the minute. It's only a matter of time before he's arrested on some crack-pot accusation."

"Do you know if there's going to be anything about him in the _Daily Prophet_ tomorrow?" Harry asked, "Percy sent Ron a letter saying he would be and…"

"No idea," Sirius cut him off. "I haven't really talked to many people in the Order lately. It's just been me and Kreacher…."

Addie could feel the sarcasm in his voice.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione veered the conversation to the mysterious absence of the game-keeper and Addie was once again left feeling very alone and without guidance.

Addie was only brought back to the conversation when she was snapped out of her thoughts by a resounding, "No!", from Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Sirius the _Daily Prophet_ said that you were rumored to be in London."

"They're always guessing about where I am." Sirius brushed it off. "They don't _really _know."

"Yeah but Lucius Malfoy saw you on the platform, and Malfoy made a comment that made me think he knew it was you."

Addie remembered painfully the last time she had seen Draco.

"Alright fine, I just thought you'd like to see me in person that's all…."

"I would but there's too much of a risk!" Harry exclaimed.

"You're not as much like you're dad as I thought." Sirius said coolly, "He would have loved the risk." And with a slight POP his head was gone from the fire.

Addie's head was spinning as she laid in her bed and tried to process the night's events. Her thoughts jumped sleepily from one mystery to the next, but one image remained in Addie's mind: Draco Malfoy, his hatred illuminated by the moonlight.


	6. Rejection

Addie felt the ominous precursors to disaster as soon as she woke up the next morning, but she bushed it off as the early-morning blues. She sighed, realizing that it was Monday and she did not have an extra two hours of sleep ahead of her. She rolled out of bed, and dressed quickly, noticing that the other girls had already left for breakfast, and cursing Hermione for not waking her up earlier.

The Great Hall was overwhelming that morning. As soon as she entered the lights created colorful spots in front of her eyes and her temples pounded with the rhythm of students' chatter. She found a seat next to Hermione and settled into it without a word. The trio was huddled around the _Daily Prophet_ and Addie leaned in with them.

_MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST-EVER "HIGH INQUISITOR"_

Big bold letter flashed across the page and a picture of Umbridge winked at Addie from it's square. The letter went on to say how the Ministry was taking more control of Hogwarts, and that she would be "inspecting" teachers to make sure they were up to "Ministry standards".

"I can't believe I." Addie said sadly after she had finished the article.

They all turned around looking with varying degrees of surprise. They had clearly not noticed Addie's arrival.

"H—Hi Addie" Ron stammered, his ears turning a bright shade of red. "Didn't see you there…"

"Nearly scared me half to death!" Harry laughed. "Next time you make a comment, announce that you've arrived first."

"Well Harry," Addie said with mock sweetness, "Maybe if you noticed me you wouldn't have that problem."

"We were busy." Hermione said harshly, "In case you haven't noticed, we were reading a newspaper article."

"Hermione!" Harry whispered.

"Well I'm sick of having to deal with her hovering around us, asking questions, and making snide comments." She seethed, "I like you, Addie, I really do, but we don't know anything _about_ you! We even let her meet Sirius last night! The only reason she has any interest in coming around with us is because she has a crush on Harry."

Harry and Ron sat uncomfortably on the other side of the table from Hermione and me. Addie was shocked. Despite her initial reservations about Hermione, she had grown to like her. She looked to Harry, and he looked away. She knew that neither Harry nor Ron would come to her defense. Addie's fragile temper snapped quickly.

It has been said that before a storm those in the immediate area can tell days ahead that it's approaching. When Addie White loses her temper, those in the immediate area are given only a few painful moments before the storm.

"Fine," Addie said quietly, picking up her books from the table. She stood up and cleared her throat loudly. The Gryffindors looked up from their places to their leader.

"I have had enough of the three of you pretending as though you're better than me. If you don't recognize what I have to offer your little group, some social skills—for instance, then I don't need you. Look around you. Any one of those people are _dying_ to be my friend, and then look at yourselves. We have a stuck up bookworm who acts as though she's far better than everyone else and who is so stuck in her own intellectual world that she can't even see what's right in front of her face, a boy who is actually interesting but chooses to dumb himself down so he can fit into his stupid side-kick role rather than do anything useful," She took a breath. "And then there's Harry, the boy who lived, who apparently can stand up to You-Know-Who annually but can't seem to handle a few nasty rumors and snickers in the hallway. When I started to be friends with you all I thought I was getting the trio that my mother had told me about. My mother told me that you were honorable, and kind, and brave, but I actually see now that you're exclusive and standoffish and downright cowardly. The world is falling apart around you and you're sitting huddled around a newspaper instead of living at all. I'm sick of all three of you."

Addie shot one last furious glance at Harry and stormed out of the Great Hall, leaving the other students to begin their excited whispering once the door had slammed shut.

As soon as Addie heard the door slam, and she had determined that no one was there to watch her, she ran in the direction of the nearest bathroom. She was lost quickly, but found herself in front of a small, inviting door. She entered and saw a large comfortable sofa in the middle of a small dimly lit room. She sat down and began to cry, not bothering to wonder what this room was or how it had come to be.

She realized that she could have had any boy in the entire school. She realized that every girl longed to be friends with her. She recognized herself as smart, beautiful, talented, and witty. She didn't understand how Ron, Harry, and Hermione didn't see all the things that everyone had seen immediately since her birth. .

After Addie had calmed down, she left the room quietly, hoping no one would see her leave.

"You've caused quite a commotion, young lady." George Weasley said from behind a pillar nearby.

"Yeah well," Addie gave him a watery smile. "I tend to attract attention."

"You tend to attract a lot of things." He said softly, putting his arm around her. "But we won't talk about that."

"Why don't they like me?" She asked, ignoring his last statement.

"Well that's very simple." George said, "Harry, Hermione, and even Ron are elitists. Unless you've been through everything they've been through together then there's no way you can even scratch the surface of their little group. I mean yeah there's me and Fred and Ginny and the other kids with Order connections, like you, but we can never be apart of their 'golden trio'."

"I guess I already knew that." Addie said sadly.

"You just yelled it across the Great Hall." George smiled.

Addie smiled in return.

"Look," George said as Addie used her shirt to wipe her eyes, "You're too upset to go to class now. Why don't you skiv off one lesson with me Fred and Lee? It'll be fun."

Addie know that the responsible decision would be to say no, but the thought of History of Magic with Harry, Ron, and Hermione nearly sent her into hysterics once more.

"Sure," She answered, "I have history of magic anyway, it's not like I would be paying attention."

George laughed, "Excellent."

George held out his hand for Addie to help herself up and the two headed toward the Gryffindor common room where Lee and Fred were waiting

"What a pleasant surprise!" Fred said as Addie came in through the porthole. He winked at his brother when he thought Addie wasn't looking, and she smiled to herself.

"You joining us today Addie?" Lee asked.

"No, Fred, I just felt really fantastic after the scene I made in the Great Hall and decided I'd try and find the trio for round two." Addie replied sarcastically.

"Well as much as I'd love a Hermione-on-Addie cat fight," Fred began, "I can't allow you to kill my brother _and_ the boy who lived, arse or not he's crucial to, you know, defeating You-Know-Who and his lot."

"Oh yes, them…" Addie said.

"We're going to Hogsmeade, then?" George asked, "I could go for some Butterbeer…"

"Hogsmede?" Addie looked up. "How are we going to get to Hogsmeade?"

"Secret passage..." The twins said in unison.

Addie smiled mischievously in response.

Addie quickly found herself tiptoeing down a hallway and taking George's hand as he led her behind a statue into a dark tunnel. The first thing she noticed was the cold. She shivered.

_I should have brought a jacket._ I thought.

"_Lumos_" She heard Fred, George, and Lee whisper. She pulled out her wand and illuminated it as well.

"Come on," George whispered in her ear. "Let's go."

Addie, who was initially skeptical about the tunnel, found the darkness and the cold was enchanting when with the right people. Fred, Lee, and George all doted on Addie (George especially) and she enjoyed receiving what she finally felt was the attention she deserved.

"Ever been here before? Lee asked.

"Nope," Addie answered, trying to take in her surroundings, "Where should we go first?"

"ZONKO'S" they all cried, rushing her down the cobblestone streets. Addie was amazed by her surroundings. The cobblestone road was covered in a light snow and witches and wizards bustled from one shop to another. Addie tried to keep up with Fred, George, and Lee while still managing to take in her surroundings, but it was impossible. Before Addie had even registered half of what was around her she felt herself being pulled through the door of a brightly-lit shop.

"Ah," a voice said, "The Weasley's"

The shopkeeper was standing behind a long counter smiling crookedly at them. He was a tall, thin, man in his mid-thirties and he had clearly met the twins on several occasions. He winked at Addie as she passed by him.

"I was wondering when you'd be coming to see me." He laughed, "Not skipping class are we?"

"Of course not!" Lee replied with mock anger, "Our school work is very important to us!" He stomped his foot.

"Ah Mr. Jordan," He sighed, "Whatever shall we do with you?"

His brown eyes soon fell on Addie, and he smiled crookedly again, "And who is this lovely young lady?"

"Addie White," She said as she held out her hand, "And who are you?"

He laughed a loud, full laugh, "Elliot Blumberg" he said, "I manage the store."

Addie felt at home in Zonko's, talking to Elliot, laughing with Fred and George, and drinking butterbeer with Lee. She felt as though she belonged with them, and was far happier that day than she ever would have been had she remained with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. However, a feeling of regret still lingered in the pit of her stomach as she realized that she probably would never know Harry the way she had hoped.

Fred looked down at his watch and realized that it was time for them to go so the quartet said their goodbyes to Elliot and hurried out onto the streets. Addie made a mental note to visit several different stores as they walked, slower this time down the streets toward Honeydukes where they had entered.

They entered the trap door quietly and slid into the secret passage. George remained behind in order to have a private word with Addie.

"You enjoyed yourself today, didn't you?" He asked awkwardly. "I mean…it was nice going around with us and things, right?"

"Yeah it was." Addie answered, "Fred and Lee are really funny and Elliot was—"

"No," He interrupted, "I meant you and me. I really like you."

Addie looked up at him. The dim light illuminated his patient face, waiting for an answer. Addie took a moment's pause. She liked George. He was funny, and interesting, and intelligent, and fun to be around. She enjoyed spending time with him either with his brother or alone and she felt that the two of them had a lot in common. Despite all of this, though, Addie felt compelled to turn him down. As soon as the prospect of being in a relationship had shown itself she only thought of one person, Harry.

"George…"Addie began sadly, "I really do like you just…"

"Not the way I like you." He finished my sentence for me.

"Exactly." Addie said.

George showed no signs of disappointment. He merely smiled at her and put his arm around her to keep her from the cold. Addie marveled at the way that he handled rejection, and felt a certain level of respect for George Weasley that she hadn't had before.

_I wish I could be like _that. She thought. _I wish I didn't care so much about rejection._

Lee peeked his head out from behind the statue and, once the coast was clear, the quartet piled out of the secret passageway into the corridor.

"Well I've got to go to Potions." Addie sighed. "Fantastic."

"We've got Transfiguration next." Fred said, "We'll see you."

Before George had even said his goodbye he was whisked down the hallway by Lee and his brother and Addie was left to walk to potions alone.

Upon arrival Addie saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione all muttering in a corner.

As Addie approached the students fell silent. Clearly, they had heard about Addie's performance during breakfast and her conspicuous absence from History of Magic had propelled the rumor further. The trio remained huddled together, and Addie could see Hermione whispering quickly to the other two. Addie turned away with as much dignity as she could muster and tried to calculate her next move.

_I bet it makes her feel god that she has the one guy that I can't get._ She thought

"I heard what happened today," A drawling voice said from behind her, "And I could have told you that Potter wouldn't appreciate your beauty."

She turned to see Draco Malfoy, leaning up against the cold stone wall with a smile on his face that said, quite clearly, "I told you so."

"I don't need this from you right now Malfoy." I spat, turning to face him, "Go away."

"You refuse to admit I was right about Potter, don't you Adds?" He laughed, not moving an inch. "You just can't bring yourself to say you were wrong in trusting him, wrong in trying to be friends with him, wrong in even thinking of him."

Malfoy had now attracted a significant amount of attention. The beautiful pureblood Slytherin and the beautiful pureblood Gryffindor both declared enemies of the most notorious clique on Hogwarts grounds conspiring together before Potions was too much for the students to handle.

"Shut up Malfoy." Addie muttered through gritted teeth, "You don't know what you're talking about."

His eyes narrowed, but his smile still stayed intact, "You liked him, didn't you Adds? You liked him for his mystery, for his sulky little charms. You liked him because you couldn't have him. I saw you, the way you followed him around like a puppy, hoping he would just turn around and look at you."

His smile vanished, and his face contorted with anger, "You ignored every other boy, including me, just to talk to Potter. And now what? He doesn't love you Addie, he doesn't even like you. He never will. You're not the type of girl Harry Potter wants. He likes Granger, everyone knows it, you're just a pathetic side note in the life of Harry Potter."

The dungeon's attentions were now entirely on Addie and Draco. She could feel their eyes on her as they waited for her response. The tension was palpable, but Addie was rendered speechless. Malfoy had been right. He was absolutely right, and she hardly had the energy to make up a lie and refute it. Addie White, the girl who never gave in, conceded defeat that day in the Potions Dungeon.

"You're right Draco…" She murmured quietly, "You're right about everything. Can you just leave me alone now?"

"Why should he?" Pansy piped up, "You haven't done him any favors."

I knew she was right, and I expected him to stay and harass me more. But then he did something I'll never forget.

"Come on guys," He said turning to the rest of the Slytherins, "Let's go inside."

Addie followed the crowd as the piled into the classroom, and realized that without Harry, Ron, and Hermione she had nowhere to sit. Addie White had been brought so low that she took the empty seat in the back of the room, and hoped that someone would sit with her out of pity. She saw the trio enter, and tried to watch them out of the corner of her eye. Ron followed Hermione to their usual seat, but Harry paused. The two of them turned to beckon him toward them but he shook his head and indicated the seat next to Addie. Hermione huffed loudly but turned back around, and Harry took the empty seat next to Addie.

"What do _you_ want?" She spat, not even turning to look at him.

"To talk to you." He whispered, "That stuff Hermione said in the Great Hall…well it was really uncalled for and…"

"Are you apologizing Harry?" She interrupted. "Because I get the feeling you don't even know what you're apologizing for."

"Well I'm apologizing for err…what Hermione said and err…I wanted you to know I don't feel that way and you're cool and err….stuff."

"Wow Harry," She said sarcastically, "Aren't you the sweet talker."

"Look Addie," He sighed, "I'm sorry Hermione said those things to you. She's just jealous of all the attention you get from pretty much everyone, especially Ron. I'm sorry for excluding you and I'm sorry for not being more patient with you when you weren't up to date on what was going on. I'm sorry for making it seem like we don't like you and I'm sorry for—for everything okay?"

"Alright, Potter." Addie smiled, "Don't have a fit I forgive you."

"You do?" He sighed with relief. "Good."

The elephant in the room, however, remained present as ever. Harry was now painfully aware of her feelings for him. They had been shouted to the whole school by more than one person, and Addie had yet to deny it. The two sat awkwardly until Snape arrived, and for the first time in both their lives, Addie and Harry were happy to see him.

Snape returned the previous class' homework and took pleasure in staring at Harry as he spoke to the class about those who had failed. Addie smiled as he returned the paper with a spikey red 'E' at the top.

"Good Job," Harry said as Snape walked away, "I got a 'D'."

"What?" Addie whispered, ripping the paper from his hand. "Yours wasn't that bad, I was with you when you did it!"

"Well, Snape hates me." He shrugged. "I just have learned to deal with it."

For the duration of class they worked on Strengthening Solutions, and Addie's confident glow reappeared as she helped Harry make a near perfect solution. She could feel the eyes on the both of them, and she could practically hear Malfoy whispering to his cronies from only a few feet away, but she didn't care. She felt right again.

She left the dungeon with her mood lifted and her winning smile back on her face.

"Look Addie…" Hermione said as they left the dungeon," I'm really—"

"Don't worry about it." Addie laughed putting her hand up to stop her. "I understand. You just have to give me your dessert at dinner."

Hermione smiled and Addie was struck by the pleasantness of her features, "I'm not _that _sorry!"

On the way down to lunch the trio was joined by Fred and George who stared skeptically from Addie to Hermione, hoping for a fight.

"I'll tell you later." Addie whispered to George.

He winked at her in response.

"Any of you been inspected yet?" Fred asked.

"Nope," Addie answered, "Have you?"

"Charms," George said, "It's not too bad. She just kind of sits in the corner taking notes. Flitwick was nice to her, she didn't really talk. Asked some people questions and stuff no big deal."

"Flitwicks' a good teacher." Hermione said thoughtfully. "He should be fine."

"So who do you lot have next?" Fred asked.

"Trelawney." Harry replied

"Then The High Inquisitor herself." Addie laughed.

"Ah well," George sighed, "Keep your temper ickle Harry-kins. We can't have you missing any more Quidditch."

Immediately upon entering the Divination classroom Harry, Ron, and Addie spotted Umbridge seated comfortably in the corner with her clipboard in hand and an ugly smile spread across her face.

Everyone eyed her with varying degrees of interest, and fell silent as Trelawney entered the room. She looked at Umbridge with utmost disdain, and wrung her hands together nervously as she addressed the class.

"T—Today we w—will continue working on dreams. D—Divide into groups of three and begin."

Divination, ironically, served to lift Addie's spirits even more than Potions. Ron and Harry talked animatedly about how pointless dream reading was, and the three of them laughed at the ridiculous futures their dreams foretold.

"I had a dream that Malfoy was reading me a book of sonnets." Addie said thoughtfully. "What do you suppose that means?"

Ron flipped through the pages of _DREAM ORACLE_ until he came to a page on sonnets. He put on a dignified voice and read.

"Sonnets symbolize affection. The rhyme and message of the sonnet means that you truly care for the reader, and the only desire of the dreamer is to earn the dreamed-of's affections."

Addie burst into a fit of laughter and Harry and Ron followed suit.

"But wait!" Harry laughed. "On page ninety-two it says that 'Dreams dealing with friends who have betrayed you shows that your hate for them is growing. It consumes you even in your dreams."

"So basically…" Addie said, "I hate Malfoy, but I want him to be in love with me." I thought for a moment, "Well he's definitely the guy for me. One of those bring-home-to-your-mom types. And I'm really into the pale, malicious thing too."

They all felt the laughter rise within them again and had to struggle as Trelawney ambled by them. The dream analysis continued until Harry nudged Addie's side.

"Hey, look at Trelawney and Umbridge." He muttered.

Addie and Ron both looked over to see Umbridge, clipboard in hand, questioning a terrified looking Trelawney.

"She looks like she's being accused of murder." Addie muttered. "Umbridge's questions can't be that bad."

The animosity between them reached its peak when Umbridge asked her to make a prediction.

"The Eye does not See on command!" Trelawney cried in outrage.

Addie couldn't quite make out Umbridge's response, but the skeptical look and the fervent scribbling on her clipboard said it all.

"Wait!" Trelawney screamed. "You're in grave danger!"

Ron, Harry, and Addie exchanged nervous glances and Trelawney's eyes widened and she used the wall behind her to prop herself up for theatrics. Umbridge, much like Trelawney's students, saw through the act and merely scribbled more maliciously onto her notepad.

As they climbed down from the Divination classroom Hermione was waiting for them. Addie caught a slight glimpse of resentment as she hopped off the bottom step, and remembered sadly about that morning's fight.

"Learn anything useful?" She asked.

"Well apparently," Addie said, "Ron's dream about buying a new hat means that he'll be eaten alive by an enchanted bed pillow."

"Ah well," Ron said gravely, "At least I know."

The Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson went as smoothly as the last, and ended in Harry getting another Voldemort-related detention.

Just as George had predicted, Angelina tracked Harry down at breakfast the next morning.

"HARRY POTTER!" She screamed, whirling him around in his chair, "HOW COULD YOU GET ANOTHER WEEK OF DETENTION? FOR THE SAME THING!"

"I well…err…" he stammered.

She continued screaming. Addie couldn't exactly make out what she was saying other than a slew of curse words and yelling until McGonagall came and broke it up.

"Potter," She whispered as Angelina walked away, "I cannot believe you've received _another_ detention from Professor Umbridge for losing your temper. I'm taking another five points from Gryffindor!"

"But why Professor?" Harry pleaded.

"Because obviously Professor Umbridge's detentions don't get the message across."

As she stalked away Addie heard him mutter, "Oh they get the message across alright…"

For the next hour Addie was consumed by her Charms work. As she struggled, Harry offered a helping hand in return for her help during Potions, and as a result Addie was able to successfully charm her ferret so that it changed three colors of the rainbow. Hermione's ferret, of course, flashed all six.

"And who inspects her?" Hermione asks. "Or does the High Inquisitor get special privileges?"

"I inspect the her." Addie said, pretending my Transfiguration textbook was a notepad, "Now that will be minus five points for that ridiculous sweater. Hmm…another ten because you keep giving Harry detentions…and another twenty five because you look like a toad."

They laughed as they headed down the hall toward configuration, and brainstormed other reasons to take points away from Umbridge.

"For not teaching us magic!" Hermione said.

"For having her room smell like my aunt Muriel!" Ron piped up.

"Excessive use of doilies!" Harry laughed.

"I still can't get over the sweater…" Addie said as they entered the Transfiguration room. She looked up and shook my head.

"Speak of the devil…" Addie muttered to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, "Look at who's in the corner."

All their eyes darted toward the corner of the room where Umbridge was sitting cross legged waiting for class to begin so she could begin her inspection of McGonagall.

"The High Fashion Offender herself." Addie whispered as we took our seats.

McGonagall entered the room and the students fell immediately silent. Addie, along with the rest of the Gryffindors, knew that McGonagall was not going to lie down to Umbridge.

"Today we will continue our lesson on Vanishing Spells. This time on mice—"

"_HEM HEM_" Umbridge coughed from one end of the room.

McGonagall ignored her, and handed back the previous class' homework. Addie received and 'A' and so did Ron, and Harry.

"I was quite pleased with your homework. Most of you were right up to O.W—"

"_HEM HEM_" Umbridge repeated.

"What?" McGonagall asked, "What could be so important that you would interrupt my lecture?"

"I was just making sure you received my letter telling you the date and time of your inspection—"

"Well of course I did! If I hadn't I would be asking you what on earth you were doing in my classroom!" She turned back toward the class and resumed teaching.

"Back to Vanishing Spells. They are highly complex especially with mammals with vertebrates. Today we shall be working with mice that—"

"_HEM HEM_" Umbridge said again.

"Professor!" McGonagall turned to face Umbridge, "How can you get an idea of the way I run my classroom if you continue to disrupt it? I do not normally permit students to speak while I am speaking."

Umbridge looked shocked, then began scribbling furiously on her notepad, but Addie was happy to see that she did not interrupt McGonagall at all for the rest of the class period, allowing Addie to concentrate on disappearing her mouse's tail.

As they exited they could hear Umbridge questioning McGonagall, and were amused by her curt responses.

Care of Magical creatures was, to the quartet's dismay, also to be inspected that day.

"Oh no!" Harry groaned, "Not Umbridge _again_."

"Oy!" Ron laughed, "I think she's following us."

"She has a crush on you Harry." Addie joked, "That's why she picks on you."

As they approached Umbridge was asking Grubbly-Plank standard questions. "What do you usually teach the students?". "How long do you plan on staying here?"

Then, the conversation took a nasty turn.

"Could you tell me what is causing Professor Hagrid's absence?" She asked slyly.

Addie saw Malfoy look up from his place with the other Slytherins.

"No," Grubbly-Plank said curtly, "I just was told to fill in until Hagrid came back and I accepted."

She turned to the rest of the class and the whispers died down. Throughout the class Umbridge weaved in and out of students interrogating them about various aspects of the class. Most answered with only favorable things to say about Dumbledore, the school, and the class itself, but the Slytherins had a different agenda.

"I've heard tell there have been injuries in this class." She asked Goyle, "Can you confirm these rumors?"

Goyle paused. There were far too many words in Umbridge's sentence for him to piece together. Malfoy answered in his stead.

"That would be me!" He said eagerly, "I was attacked by a Hippogriff."

"That's because you didn't listen!" Harry spat.

The Gryffindors turned toward Harry and flashed him a pleading look. They all hoped he would back down from another fight with Umbridge.

"That will be another detention." She said, her smile spreading, "Thank you Professor, my job is done here."

She waddled off toward the castle.

"We're going to go to the library." Hermione told me, "Would you like to join us?"

"No thank you, I think I'll just go back to the common room." Addie said, "See you guys later."

They parted ways and Addie, instead of returning to the common room, took her place underneath the tree near the Qudditch pitch and began her homework. The breeze was light and refreshing and the sky warned all of Hogwarts that rain was coming. As Addie looked up from her work she could see Malfoy approaching with his band of Slytherins in tow.

"Oh no," She sighed, "Here we go again."

"DID YOU NOT LISTEN TO A WORD I SAID?" Malfoy asked, "POTTER IS ONLY BEING NICE! HE'S HUMORING YOU! HE DOESN'T REALLY CARE WHETHER YOU'RE FRIENDS WITH HIM OR NOT! ALL HARRY POTTER CARES ABOUT IS HIMSELF! HE'S JUST USING YOU FOR SOCIAL STATUS ADDS, AND WHEN HE'S DONE WITH YOU HE'LL THROW YOU AWAY!"

Addie remained calm this time around. She closed her book quietly and picked up her things to leave. Just as she walked by Malfoy she turned to him in order to have the last word.

"I'd rather be thrown away by Harry Potter than kept by you." She spat.

When she arrived in the common room she expected to find it empty, but instead she found Ron and Hermione waiting for Harry to return from detention.

"Why are we waiting until Harry gets back?" Addie asked, "It's just detention."

"Has Harry ever told you what Umbridge makes him do in detention…" Said Ron.

"Lines," She replied, "Why?"

"Well yeah…lines." Ron said slowly, "But it's not the kind of lines you're thinking of…"

"Ron what are you talking about?" Addie asked, "How many ways can a person do lines?"

"The lines," Hermione began, "Are carved into his hand."

Addie took a moment to understand. Surely something like this couldn't go on at Hogwarts! There must a rule, a law, something to protect Harry.

"She can't do that." Addie said softly, "There's no way she could—"

"Harry doesn't want anyone to know." Hermione cautioned.

"Why not?" Addie asked, "We could get rid of Umbridge for good if we reported this!"

Ron shrugged, "He just doesn't want anyone to know…"

Addie quickly ran to her room and pulled out an old textbook she'd brought on magical healing, and some solutions that she had in her trunk. Luckily, she had brought murtlap tentacles, which she prepared to heal Harry's hand upon his return.

"How did you know how to make this?" Harry asked, soaking his hand in the bowl.

"I told you, Harry, I like healing." Addie laughed, "I want to be a Healer when I grow up."

Ron looked at her with a stunned expression, "I thought you were going to be a model."

"You and the rest of the world." She replied bitterly.

It was true. Nobody expected Addie to do anything other than follow her mother's path, but in Addie's youth she had taken a liking to Healing. She first learned the remedies out of necessity, because her mother was not home. She knew how to clean up a bruise, and how to ease pain. She knew the best remedy for headaches, and the best potion to take to avoid pimples, but she had kept it all a secret.

"You really are the first people I've ever told this to." Addie said quietly.

"Why?" Ron asked, "It shouldn't have to be a secret."

"It's not really a secret." She said thoughtfully, "It's just that nobody ever asked. They all assumed I was going to be a model, and so did I. I really want to be a Healer, but I know I won't be."

"Why not?" Hermione asked, "If you want to be a Healer than why not?"

"Who will support me?" She asked, "Not one person on the planet will want me to be a Healer, not even my own mother."

"We'll support you." Harry said quietly, "We're your friends."

Addie's heart skipped a beat. In all her life Addie had never heard a more earnest sentiment. She smiled sheepishly from behind the murtlap bowl and continued to soak a cloth for Harry's hand.

"We need to do something about Umbridge." Hermione said finally.

"Well" I began, "We could get a cannon and—"

"No not like that!" Hermione said, "I mean about how we're not going to learn anything in Defense Against the Dark Arts this year!"

"Well what can we do about it?" Ron said sleepily, "She's the teacher, that's all there is to it."

"Well maybe," Hermione began slowly, "We should just…teach ourselves."

"How can we do that?" Addie asked, "Who would teach us?"

"And we have enough homework already!" Ron cried, "We don't need more!"

"There are some things" Hermione said, "Even bigger than homework. We need to be prepared. Prepared for the worst. There are things going on outside Hogwarts that I shudder to think about, and we need to be able to defend ourselves against anything that may come up."

"Here here!" Addie cried banging her fist on the table, "Well spoken!"

"I'm serious." Hermione shot Addie an angry look and she recoiled, the memory of the morning's events still fresh in her mind, "And as for who could teach us….Harry."

"What?" He asked, "You must be kidding!"

"Harry you're amazing at Defense and you know it! You did better than me in the third year and that's the only year we had a good teacher, and besides Harry you've been there, you know how to fight, look at what you've accomplished!"

"She has a point Harry…" Ron muttered, "You're bloody brilliant when it comes to Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"It's true," Addie piped up, "You're legendary Harry. Even I know it, and I've hardly been here at all."

"I haven't done anything!" Harry cried, "It was all luck!"

"What about the Philosopher's Stone? What about the Basilisk you killed and destroying Riddle? What about in our third year whey you fought off all those dementors?" Hermione said.

"And don't forget the Triwizard Tornement!" Addie added the only information she had, "I mean I wasn't there, but I read about it and I know you had to perform a lot of complicated defensive spells. Not to mention fighting off You-Know-Who _again_!"

"It was all luck!" Harry cried angrily, "All of it I couldn't have done it without Ron and Hermione and half the time I didn't even know what I was doing!"

Ron, Hermione, and Addie exchanged smirks and Harry's face turned a furious red.

"DON'T SMIRK AT ME!" he yelled, "I WAS THERE AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT NONE OF THIS STUFF WERE THINGS THAT CAN BE TAUGHT. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING ANY MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE. ALL OF IT WAS BY ACCIDENT, LUCK, THAT'S IT!" he was breathing heavily.

Their smiles vanished and Harry knocked the essence of murtlap to the floor. Addie saw a flash of pain in his eyes as the murtlap ceased to soothe his cut.

"None of you understand." He said angrily, "You don't know what its like to be there. To have Voldemort staring you in the face and there is nothing you can do about it. If there are any spells you know how to use, you can't even remember them. You're a second away from dying and you know it. That can't be taught in class or through some book, you have to be there, you have to see it to understand.

Diggory wasn't stupid! So don't sit there and tell me that I got where I am because I'm clever and Diggory just wasn't good enough. If it had been about talent I wouldn't be here, it was only because Voldemort needed me that I'm alive right now. "

"Don't take it like that Harry!" Addie said angrily, "You know that's not what any of us meant. We were complimenting you. We all have faith that you, Harry Potter, are the best man for the job. And all your little speech did was prove it! You're the only one who understands. You're the only person who can teach us. No one else, just you."

Hermione and Ron stared at Adddie and Harry, waiting for a fight. Harry looked venomous but Addie stood her ground. She locked her gaze with his and remained strong. In the end, it was Harry that backed down.

"I'll think about it." He muttered, "I'm not saying I'll do it, but I'll think about it."

"That's all we're asking." Hermione said softly.

After cleaning up the broken bowl of murtlap they headed up to bed. Hermione turned out the light and after Addie crawled under her covers she felt a smile spread across her face as she recalled Harry's words.

We'll support you. We're your friends


	7. Potter, Malfoy, and Chang

The next two weeks passed by without any evident changes. The occasional Quidditch practices, loads upon loads of homework, Harry going to detention, and the occasional run in with Draco Malfoy. One incident, however, did stand out in Addie's mind.

It was a Thursday and Addie was begrudgingly making her way down to Transfiguration without Harry, Ron, or Hermione in hopes of talking to Professor McGonagall before class about the day's assignment.

"Hey! Adds!" She heard, "Adds STOP!"

There was only one person at Hogwarts who called her by her nickname, and it was a person she didn't want to talk to.

"Go hex yourself Malfoy. I'm busy." She called over her shoulde.r

"_Anterio_" He whispered, forcing her to turn and face him.

"_Blocktanis_!" He flicked his wand. Addie felt her feet stick to the spot.

"Malfoy," Addie said scathingly, "What in hell do you think you're doing?"

"You won't talk to me anymore Adds." He replied. "This is the only way I could get you to stay still long enough."

She glared at him as he circled her, twirling his wand in his hand.

"Long enough to do what?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"This," He said pulling her close. For a moment she didn't understand. Malfoy was getting closer. His eyes were closing and the next thing she knew he was kissing her.

She pushed him hard on his chest and he fell backward, dropping his wand on the ground. Addie quickly picked it up from her place.

"What on earth?" She seethed, "Did you think you were doing?"

"I want you back…" He muttered, "I love you Adds."

Addie paused for a moment. Could he be telling the truth? Addie thought back to the Draco she had known as a child, and then turned her eyes to the Draco that sat before her. Even the Draco Malfoy she knew would find it hard to love a woman. This new Draco, she mused, surely wasn't any different.

"I don't believe that for a moment." Addie said, using Draco's wand to reverse the hex, "And if you ever, _ever_, do that to me again I swear on a Golden Cauldron that the entire school will know about the time you wet yourself at the Minister's Birthday Ball."

"I was seven!" He cried.

"I'm talking about last year." Addie sneered.

Whatever color was in his face was gone in an instant. His eyes grew cold once more.

"Don't get too upset Malfoy." Addie laughed, "you're not a bad kisser."

"DON'T GET TOO UPSET?" He shouted after her. "DON'T GET TOO UPSET? I LOVE YOU ADDS, AND YOU DON'T EVEN CARE!"

Addie said nothing, but continued down the corridor.

Though she tried to erase the incident from her memory, she found herself thinking about it a week later as she passed the same corridor back to the Gryffindor common room.

"Addie!" Hermione's voice called as she walked past the library, "Addie come here!"

She snapped out of her trance and turned around, "What's going on? Is something wrong?"

"Harry agreed!" She said happily, "He agreed to teach us!"

"That's great!" Addie replied, "When are we going to meet?"

"This weekend at Hogsmeade. We'll be going to a place called The Hogs Head." she whispered, "And if you can think of anyone who would like to come….don't hesitate to tell them."

"No problem." Addie said.

"Oh and Addie…." She added, "Don't let jealousy get in the way. Everyone deserves a chance to learn. This is bigger than us."

Before Hermione could clarify she looked at the clock and ran out of the library for Ancient Runes, leaving Addie puzzled

_Jealousy_? She thought, _Who am I jealous of_?

Right at that moment, as if it were an answer from God, Addie slammed right into Cho Chang.

_Of all the people…_ Addie thought.

Addie admired Hermione's cleverness. She knew that Addie spoke to Cho, or at least had more contact with her than either Ron or Hermione. She also knew that Harry was too love-struck to speak to her himself. For this Defense group to succeed they would need as many trustworthy members as possible. They would need people like Cho Chang.

"Damn it." Addie muttered as she got to her feet.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" Cho cried. "Are you okay?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Addie said, brushing off her skirt.

"Sometimes I get so preoccupied…."

Addie took a deep breath.

"Err…Cho?" She began, "W—would you be interested in learning Defense Against the Dark Arts? You know, real defense, not the stuff Umbridge teaches us?" Addie asked.

Cho exchanged glances with a curly haired friend standing to her right, "Yes….why?"

"B—Because H—Harry Potter has agreed to teach anyone who was willing to learn and…."

"Harry Potter?" She asked excitedly. "Where and when?"

Addie almost told her the wrong place. She almost told her it was a joke. She almost pulled out her wand and hexed her in the middle of the library. But ultimately, Hermione's words seeped into her thoughts.

_This is bigger than us._

"The Hogs Head," Addie answered, before she had lost her conviction. "This weekend when we go to Hogsmede."

"Thank you so much!" Cho said happily. "Can Marietta come?"

Addie looked over at Cho's curly haired friend and saw no real objections.

"I don't see why not." Addie forced a smile, "But it's very important that the two of you keep this very secret. We're not doing anything wrong, but it's probably best if Umbridge doesn't find out about what we're doing.

Cho winked, "Your secret is safe with us."

"Excellent," Addie replied, glancing for the door and hoping to make her exit. "Well I have to go now so…bye."

"Bye Addie!" Cho called after her. "Tell Harry I say hello!"

"Over my dead body…." Addie muttered as she walked down the hall.

The day of the Hogsmeade trip came quickly and though Addie was sad to turn down invitations for romantic weekends from various suitors, she was excited to see what Harry had planned.

Addie stepped foot in the Hog Head and immediately regretted the decision. Everything in the establishment was covered with a thick layer of dirt and as Addie looked down at her white dragon leather boots she cursed Hermione for having picked such a terrible place for a meeting. She pulled from her bag a sheet of parchment and laid it down on the seat as a cover before she took her place at the table.

Harry sat across from her, jittering his leg nervously. Hermione was looking nervous as well, going over notes that she had brought with her and compulsively comforting Harry. Ron and Addie exchanged relieved glances that neither of them would have to say or do anything for the duration of the meeting.

"_Tut tut tut_" A woman's voice said from behind them, "What is my dear cousin Addie doing in a filthy place like this?"

Addie turned around, though she already knew who was behind her. It was her cousin Diana.

"Hi Diana," Addie mumbled.

It had been years since Addie had last seen her. She was at least twenty-one now, and had on a tight fitting black dress paired with slender heels. Addie was shocked, at first, to see Diana working in a place like The Hogs Head, but then she looked from her cousin's loosely braided black hair, her long nails, and the cigarette she held between her blood-red lips, and realized it was exactly the place for her.

"Long time no see, cuz." Diana said, as she blew smoke out of the side of her mouth.

Addie smiled as she saw that her cousin had not changed a bit. During most of the year, Diana toured with a band of girls who had called themselves 'Hex' and had recently earned several high-visibility radio spots. Addie supposed that 'Hex' was currently out of the studio, and that her dear cousin was looking for a few extra galleons on the side. Addie could see the rest of her friends staring. Though Harry and Hermione didn't recognize her, Addie was certain that Ron had.

"Who are they?" Diana asked and nodded her head in their direction.

"Oh!" Addie laughed. "This is Harry, Ron, and Hermione."

Diana turned to Harry and her eyes narrowed. She leaned across the table and wiped his black hair away from his forehead to reveal his scar and smiled sexily.

"Harry Potter," She cooed, "nice to meet you."

"Y—You're Diana White," Ron stammered, "b—bass player for H—Hex."

"That I am!" She replied cheerfully. "Do I have a fan?"

"Yeah, m—me and all my brothers." Ron said, "I bought your CD when I was eleven and all my other brothers…and my sister liked it so…"

"How many brothers do you have?" She asked slyly.

"Err well there's Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, and me…then my sister Ginny…"

"Excellent!" She exclaimed, kissing him on the cheek and leaving the red imprint of her lips (only a shade darker than Ron's ears).

"'EY DIANA 'NOUGH CHIT-CHATTING! WE GOT 'UNGRY CUSTOMERS OVAH 'ERE!" The bartender yelled.

"Oh right," she laughed, "I'm on the job. So what do you guys want?"

"Four butterbeers." Hermione answered quickly to prevent Ron from ordering anything stronger.

"Alright," She said, "I'll see you three later."

"Who else is coming?" Harry asked Hermione as he watched Diana walk back towards the bar to be yelled at by her boss ("This is not social hour!")

"Oh not too many people…" She replied sheepishly.

The first to arriver were Neville, and Dean Thomas. Then, much to Addie's disgust in strode Lavender, Parvati, and by the looks of it her identical twin. Addie noticed Harry go slightly red as Cho entered the room with her curly haired friend and she clenched her fists under the table . They were followed by a strange girl that Addie knew by sight but not by name. She had bulging eyes and looked so dreamy Addie thought that perhaps she was lost, and wasn't there for the meeting at all.

"Hello," She said, her voice as dreamy as her demeanor.

_I suppose she was invited._ Addie thought as Harry, Ron, and Hermione all returned her greeting.

Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, and Alicia Spinnett followed, all looking as disgusted as Addie had been at the state of the pub. Colin and Dennis Creevey came looking frantically around nearly twitching with excitement with Ernie Macmillan and three other Hufflepuffs, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbot, and a girl that Addie didn't know.

Three Ravenclaw boys, Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, and Terry Boot, strode in with Ginny Weasley followed by a pompous blonde boy Addie had met briefly in the library weeks before. And last but not least, the twins and Lee Jordan, with bulging bags of Zonko's merchandise.

"A couple of people?" Addie heard Harry whisper to Hermione.

They pulled up some chairs and Diana hurried over.

"What will it be guys?" She asked, "and don't mind taking your time we have a drunk Warlock named Dave over in the corner who won't stop calling me "lovey" and asking me on dates."

"He's cute," Addie said looking over to the man in the corner, "why not?"

"Gr-ross" Diana said, "Been there and _done_ that."

After that disturbing revelation, Addie maintained a dignified silence.

"Hey!" Fred piped up, "Why aren't you taking our orders?"

"Keep your pants on kid I'm having a conversation with my cousin." She replied coolly.

"Hey!" George exclaimed, "Aren't you the Bass player in Hex?"

"Yep," She answered, "That's me!"

"I've had a crush on you since my third year!" George exclaimed.

"How old are you sweetheart?" She asked.

"Twenty five." He replied.

"Honey don't try to fool me." She laughed, "I've been with twenty-five, I know twenty-five, you're not twenty-five."

George looked slightly defeated and sunk down in his seat, "Worth a try…" he muttered.

"So what'll it be Mr. twenty-five? Butterbeers?" She asked.

"Yeah," Fred said, "That looks about right."

"One butterbeer each seems about right." She turned on her heels and walked away.

"Well…" Hermione began, "I suppose you know why we're all here. I thought it would b—be a good idea if we started up a Defense club so w—we can actually p—p—pass our O.W.L's." A sudden wave of confidence came over Hermione and she spoke with clarity, "Because that rubbish Umbridge teaches will never do."

"Here here!" Addie shouted, banging her glass on the table.

"And Harry here has agreed to teach us how to defend ourselves properly because…well…V—Voldemort has returned."

The whole table went silent. Hermione had said the name. Addie had never heard _anyone_ aside from Harry say the name, but Hermione said it. Some people shrieked, some twitched, some just looked shocked and Addie couldn't help but feel the pit of her stomach drop as she heard it.

"And what proof is there that He Who Must Not Be Named is back?" The blonde boy said harshly. "What have we got besides his word and Dumbledore's?"

"Who are _you_?" Ron asked rudely. Addie smiled at him.

"Zacharias Smith," He replied proudly, "And I think we all have a right to know why he's claiming You-Know-Who is back."

"That's not what this is supposed to be—"Hermione began.

"No," Harry stopped her.

"You want to know why I say he's back? Because I saw him. Dumbledore already told you that. If you didn't believe him, you won't believe me, and I'm not here to tell the story."

Addie smiled at Harry and they locked eyes. The two looked away quickly.

"All Dumbledore said is Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who and you brought the body back. He didn't give details. We left school with basically no knowledge of what happened that night. We didn't know exactly how he killed him, we just knew he did."

Addie looked across the table and saw Cho's face fall. She shot an angry glance at Zacharias and then turned her gaze to Harry. She could tell that Harry's fragile temper was on its last let, but he remained surprisingly calm.

"If you want to hear exactly what happened when Cedric Diggory died then you're going to be disappointed." He replied. "I'm not here to talk about Diggory I'm here to talk about defense, and if you think I'm wasting your time then leave."

Zacharias stayed put, but glared at Harry from his end of the table.

"So back to Defense," Hermione said, her voice turning small and insecure again, "We need to figure out where, and when we'll meet and—"

"Can you really produce a Patronus?" A girl asked from the end of the table.

"Yeah" Harry replied shortly.

"A corporeal Patronus?

"Errr…do you know Madam Bones?" Harry asked.

The girl laughed, "I'm her niece. My name is Susan Bones. So it's true? You really can?"

"Yes," Harry replied.

There was uproar at the table. "A corporeal Patronus?" "Wow that's really something!".

Addie remained in her seat, silently growing more and more impressed with Harry as the meeting went on. She looked across the table and saw the same glowing admiration in Cho Chang's dark eyes. She locked her own eyes on the butterbeer in front of her and took a deep breath.

The table had begun listing Harry's accomplishments one-by-one and Addie listened intently.

"The Philosopher's Stone!"

"The basilsisk!"

"And then of course," Cho said adoringly, "all the Triwizard tasks…dragons and merpeople and acromantulas…"

Addie suppressed a desire to kick Cho from under the table.

"Order up!" A voice called, finally drawing Addie's attention away from Cho and Harry, "Here are your butterbeers!"

Diana slid them across the table to each person, not spilling a drop, "Damn I'm good." She muttered as she strode back toward the drunken warlock.

"You guys," Harry said after she left, "I'm not pretending I'm some great Defense teacher. I did some stuff without help but…"

"You're just trying to get out of showing us stuff huh?" Zacharias said.

"How about you shut your mouth?" Ron said loudly, "because in all honesty…nobody cares…"

Everyone at the table laughed, but Zacharias pressed on, "Well we came to learn defense and now you're saying you can't teach it!"

"That's not what he said." Fred snarled.

"Would you like us to clean your ears for you? George asked, pulling out a long metal instrument that looked deadly.

"Or any part of your body really, we're not fussy where we stick this." Fred said menacingly.

"_HEM HEM_!" Ginny coughed, sounding astonishingly like Umbridge. "We need to decide where we're going to meet."

"The library?" Katie suggested.

"I doubt we'd be able to perform hex's in the library." Ron laughed.

"An unused classroom?" Dean said.

The table muttered agreement, but Hermione shut the idea down quickly, "I doubt McGonagall will let us use her unused class. Our intentions aren't exactly wholesome, and there's no way we could do it without Umbrige finding out."

"We'll find somewhere" Harry said, "and when we do we'll send the message around."

The meeting ended with Hermione passing out a piece of paper for us to sign, and everyone filtered out. Cho Chang, however, lingered behind making a fuss about fastening her bag. Though, to the casual observer, Cho was being extremely subtle, Addie caught her every movement. She hated the sly little glances Cho would throw at Harry as she flipped back her shiny hair, and hated the way he blushed every time it happened. Addie hated the way he watched her and her giggling friend leave the room, but most of all, she hated the way Harry never looked at her the same way.

"That Zacharias bloke's a real arse." Ron said through gritted teeth.

"Well I felt bad because he overheard me talking to Ernie and Hannah about it. How could I say no? And it's really the more the merrier. Michael Corner and his friends probably wouldn't have bothered if he wasn't dating Ginny—"

Ron choked on air, "Dating WHO?"

"She's been dating him for a while, you know. They met at the Yule Ball and he asked her at the end of last year." Hermione informed him.

Ron looked as though he had been hit in the face with a particularly vicious bludger, "Which one was he?"

"The dark one"

"I didn't like the looks of that boy…he seemed kind of shifty to me…"

"It seems," Addie laughed, "Ron is suffering from big brother syndrome."

"I thought Ginny fancied Harry!"

Addie paused briefly. Another girl who fancied Harry? Another _pretty_ girl who fancied Harry?

Hermione, being unusually perceptive, shot Addie a comforting glance, "Ginny _used _to fancy Harry. She moved on ages ago."

"Is that why she talks now?" Harry asked, seeming to have snapped out of a daze, "She never used to talk."

"Exactly," Hermione answered.

They walked back to the train station in relative silence. Ron was consumed with thoughts of his sister and Michael Corner, and Hermione was deeply involved in thoughts of the Defense club, and Addie couldn't get her mine off Harry while he spent his time dreaming of Cho.

"So…" Hermione began, "Did anyone notice the way Cho could not keep her eyes off Harry?"

Harry choked, and little did he know, Addie was choking too.


	8. Midnight Scare

Addie did everything in her power to avoid thinking about Harry and Cho. She took to spending her days with Fred, George, and Lee during breaks instead of Harry, Ron, or Hermione. If she saw Cho in the halls she waved politely and kept going. When she was bold, she'd even strike up a conversation. She would do anything to stop seeing her as the girl that Harry fancied. Her nights were restless, and any amount of sleep she did get was filled with Harry's bright green eyes.

When Addie saw Harry, her stomach always took an uncomfortable turn and she couldn't help but notice that his disposition was sunnier ever since the first meeting. Addie, try as she might, could not block out visions of Harry and Cho spending a romantic afternoon on the grounds only moments before she saw him.

It was a week before Addie spoke to any of the trio again.

"Addie!" Ron called in a hushed voice, "Come here, quickly!"

Addie paused for a moment, then, realizing she had no excuse, walked over toward them.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"This!" Harry said, pointing to the latest bulletin.

She skimmed the paper. It was an official decree by the High Inquisitor. It banned all student organizations, societies, teams, groups, and clubs from meeting until they were re-formed by Umbridge. The most ominous part about the new decree, however, was the clause that stated that any member of an unapproved organization would be expelled.

Addie held the paper for a moment after she had finished reading it, in order to process the information before speaking.

"Well," She said slowly, "that's a problem."

"She knows." Harry said darkly, "But how?"

"Zacharias Smith!" Ron suggested, "Or that shifty looking Michael Corner…"

"Don't be stupid." Addie cut him off, "Does Hermione know yet?"

"We should go tell her." Ron said, "You stay here."

"I wouldn't—" Addie began, but it was too late. The two boys got halfway up the Girl's dormitory steps when a loud wailing sound came out of the walls and the steps disappeared. Everyone turned to see Harry and Ron sliding down what used to be the steps to the Girl's dormitory.

Addie laughed as she walked over to help them up, "I tried to tell you, but do you listen to me? No."

"That such rubbish!" Ron said angrily, "Hermione gets into the boys dorm all the time!"

"It's an old rule." Hermione said, sliding down onto the carpet, "The founders thought boys weren't as trustworthy as girls."

"So what were you trying to get into the girl's dormitory for, anyway?" asked Hermione.

"Let me show you." Addie said, allowing Harry and Ron time to recover from the shock.

Her expression hardened, "Well I know it wasn't anyone who came to the meeting that told…"

"How can you be sure?" Ron asked, "Not everyone is trustworthy…"

"I jinxed that paper we all signed." She said, a slight smiling appearing on her face, "If someone told, we'd know."

Addie smiled. "I like the way you think Hermione."

As soon as they left the Gryffindor Common room they were surrounded by members of the Defense Club.

"Does she know?"

"Who told?"

"Was she there?"

"What'll we do?"

"We're going to do it anyway." Addie said finally

Harry turned to look at her, and flashed a small smile.

"That's what I want to hear!" George smiled, putting his arm around Addie.

As they left the Hall to go to History of Magic they were ambushed yet again by Angelina Johnson.

"You do realize this means Quidditch too!" She raged, "I have to ask her permission to re-form our team!"

"WHAT?" Addie exclaimed, "But Quidditch doesn't do any harm!"

"I know." She said darkly, "But the rule is the rule and the sign mentions teams too!

"Harry," She begged, "Please don't make her angry. She has the power to take away the team!"

"I won't," Harry promised, "I'll behave."

History of Magic was as boring as ever. Professor Binns droned on about Goblin wars, and Addie made sure to drift into sleep shortly after attendance had been taken. She was awoken mid-way through as her desk was rattled by Harry running toward the window.

"Hedwig!" Harry exclaimed at an owl perched on the windowsill, "She's hurt!"

Professor Binns excused him from class and Harry ran out into the hallway, and once Binns returned to Goblin wars, it didn't take much for Addie to forget all about the owl and drift slowly back into sleep. The end of class was signaled by the loud shuffling of students and Addie hurried out with them. She trudged along toward the Potions dungeon, hardly interested in going to class at all, when she ran into Harry Potter looking frantic.

"Addie," He whispered, "I'm glad I ran into you!"

Her heart beat faster and she smiled charmingly.

"I gave Hedwig to Grubbly-Plank." He said.

Addie's smiled faded. He wanted to talk to her about business. He wasn't happy to see _her_ he was happy to see someone that he could relay the latest information to.

"McGonagall said she might have been intercepted."

"By who?" Addie asked, still reeling from this latest disappointment.

"Dumbledore," He said darkly.

"But why would he—?"

"It was Umbridge, of course!" Harry smiled.

Addie laughed, "I'm still a little drowsy from History of Magic."

"Oh, yeah, sorry about knocking your desk over." He smiled nervously and tugged at his collar.

"Don't worry about it," Addie smiled. "So, this letter. What did it say?"

"Addie," Harry began darkly, "the letter was from Snuffles."

"Excuse me, who?" Addie asked.

"Sirius!" Harry whispered.

"Oh!" Addie exclaimed, finally understanding the gravity of the situation. "Well what did it say?"

Harry looked around and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a wrinkled looking sheet of paper and handed it to Addie.

"Tonight. Same time. Same place."

Her eyes widened, "She can't know what that means right?"

"I don't think so…" Harry mumbled, "But nothing good can come of this."

As soon as they approached the Potions dungeon and Ron and Hermione were insight Harry ran toward them, letter in hand, leaving Addie behind. Addie sighed, allowing the disappointment sink in all over again. She walked over toward a small inlet in the wall where she could sit and collect herself. She pulled out a book so that no one could bother her and collected her thoughts.

Once it was time to enter the classroom, Addie overheard Malfoy talking loudly about the swift reformation of the Slytherin team, and the likelihood that Gryffindor would find that it hadn't been reformed.

"I mean if we're talking about Ministry influence they've been trying to sack Arthur Weasley for years, and well…just look at Potter. It's only a matter of time before someone hauls him off to St. Mungo's for people whose brains have been addled by magic."

To uproarious laughter from his Slytherin cronies, Malfoy did an exaggerated impression of a St. Mungo's metal patient. Addie closed her book and shot him a repulsed glance. Just as soon as she was about to turn her back on him, she felt someone pass quickly behind her.

Neville Longbottom was running past her, charging at Malfoy. His face was contorted with anger. She had known very little of Neville, he had always been too nervous to talk to her, but she had never imagined that he could be so fierce. He was always so good-natured, so nice, a little stupid, she sometimes thought, but nice.

Before Malfoy even knew what was coming Neville had tackled him. Harry rushed towards him trying to pull Neville off. He was still swinging his fists frantically as Harry pulled him back toward the Gryffindors. Neville's face was red and his eyes were narrowed as he stared at Malfoy. He kept muttering things about St. Mungo's and people with magically affected brains.

Professor Snape stepped slowly out of his classroom.

"Fighting are we?" He said in an almost whisper, "Ten points from Gryffindor."

Slytherins and Gryffindors shared in the confusion as to why exactly Neville had attacked Malfoy. Neville had a reputation for accepting whatever abuse came his way be it from Snape or Malfoy. Everyone in the room had focused their attention on Neville as he sat, red-faced, in the back of the room with his hands still balled in to fists. Addie, however, took a moment to look over at Harry. He was turned toward Neville with a look of concern and was, as per usual, whispering to Ron and Hermione. Addie had a strange feeling that he knew why Neville had attacked Malfoy, and that's why he'd jumped in to stop the fight.

Even more unfortunate was that Umbrige was inspecting Potions that day as they continued their study of strengthening solutions. The class went the same as usual, and Umbridge's routine didn't vary, though Addie watched her closely for the duration of the lesson.

When class ended Ron, Harry, and Addie made their usual way up to the north tower for Divination, where we found Professor Trelawney in a state of great distress. She kept going on about how she was a 'sub standard teacher' and barking at the students for the littlest mistake.

"I think," Addie whispered to Ron, "she got the results of her inspection back."

Lavendar Brown and Parvati Patil seemed to be the only students in the class interested in comforting Professor Trelawney as she fell into a fit of hysterics.

"What did Professor Umbridge _say_?" Parvati asked.

"Do not say that name!" Trelawney cried, "That woman will not be spoken of in my classroom."

"Fair enough," Addie muttered.

After Divination was another mind numbingly dull Defense Against the Dark Arts. Addie, who had perfected not only the art of drawing Umbridge, but also the art of enchanting her cartoons, was mid-way through a particularly graphic depiction of Umbridge and the minister when she heard her name.

"Miss White!"

"Yes Professor," She said sweetly, the drawing visible on her desk.

"Bring that note up here."

Addie smiled at her and asked, "What note?"

"_Accio!_" Umbridge said, pointing at Addie's hand. The note flew towards the front of the classroom and Addie braced herself for what was sure to be at least a detention.

"Let's see what you had to say to Mr. Potter." Her voice was sweet, but her eyes flickered maliciously. She took the note and stuck it to the board without bothering to look at it herself first.

"_Enorme_!" She said. The picture grew to be the size of the entire board and Addie smiled at her fellow Gryffindors as they howled with laughter, and Umbridge rushed to take it down.

When she turned toward the class again, after ripping the picture in to pieces, her face had changed completely. The toad-like smile that was usually plastered on her face was gone and whole complexion had turned red with rage and embarrassment.

"There is no note writing in my class, Miss White." She heaved, having been rendered breathless with anger, "Fifty points from Gryffindor!"

"But Professor," Addie said, mimicking Umbridge's usual tone, "It's not a note. It's a drawing."

"DETENTION!" She cried, her face turning even redder, "A WEEKS DENTENTION! NOW SIT IN THE HALL FOR THE REST OF CLASS, AND DON'T YOU DARE GO ANYWHERE!"

Addie gathered her things and sidled out of the classroom, allowing her skirt to swing with her hips and her hair to fly free behind her. She turned, just as she got to the door, and winked in the direction of the Gryffindors. She saw several boys sink a little further in their seats and couldn't help but notice Harry's gaze follow her into the hallway.

At the end of the period, the entire class, headed by the boys, rushed to the door to see if Addie had remained in place. They came to find that Addie had remained leaning up against the wall outside the classroom door, reading a book on the formation of St. Mungo's. As students left they stopped by to say things like, "That was bloody brilliant!" or "I can't believe how angry you made her!" Addie merely smiled in response and made a slight bow as Seamus Finnegan conjured a bouquet of flowers and presented it to her on bended knee.

The only person who didn't seem to be impressed by Addie's stunt was Hermione, "So Harry held his temper in that class for nothing!" She cried as they reached the fat lady's portrait, "You disrupted the class for him!"

"Hermione," Addie said as she pulled herself through the hole into the common room, "Lighten up."

Angelina Johnson approached them shortly after they had stepped through the portal

"No practice." She told Harry, Ron, and Addie with a defeated look in her eyes.

"But I was good!" Harry cried, "I didn't do anything I swear it!"

"It was me…" Addie admitted, "I…err…drew a not-so-flattering picture of her and…"

"It doesn't matter." Angelina continued sadly, "She wouldn't have given it to us anyway."

"So…is that….it?" Addie asked, "No more Quidditch?"

"No, not all hope is lost," Angelina said as if all hope was lost, "She just needs 'time to consider' us."

"But she re-formed the Slytherins in a heart beat!" Ron shouted, "That's unfair."

"Life is never fair Ron…." Angelina sighed as she walked off toward the other end of the common room.

Hermione shot Addie a satisfied glance.

"Oh go swallow a hex, Granger." Addie scoffed, "Umbridge wouldn't have re-formed us anyway and you know it."

"I didn't say—"

"You know what you were thinking."

Addie stalked off, not in the mood for any more of Hermione's gloating, and settled herself near Fred and George as they demonstrated their latest skiving snack boxes to an eager crowd.

"I want to help!" Addie said after Fred vomited into a bucket, and Lee Jordan lazily cleaned up after him

Fred paused for a moment.

"Be the announcer," He said finally, "It's kind of difficult for George and I to be the test subjects and the spokesmen. They're thee galleons a box and I'm sure you can come up with the rest."

"Okay!" Addie said, lifting herself onto the table where George and Fred had displayed the Snack boxes, "Skiving Snack boxes everyone! Tired of your boring classes? Just need an afternoon to yourself? Three galleons and you can vomit, faint, or bleed your way into an afternoon of rest and relaxation! Just bite one end while you're in class so the teacher lets you leave. Then when you're out of sight chew the other end and you're home free!"

Addie looked out onto the common room and saw Hermione giving her a disapproving look and found herself motivated to move further.

"Tell them that it's from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes." George choked only moments before another spectacular vomit.

"One of the fine products from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!" Addie called, "Now who wants one?"

A huge group of Gryffindors rushed towards the demonstration. Boys clambered to give Addie their money and she flashed each of them a smile that would ensure they would return. Girls watched Addie's grace as she quickly sorted the merchandise and wanted to be apart of whatever made her so beautiful.

"This is great!" Fred cried, exchanging six galleons for nosebleed nougat and a blood blisterpod.

"I appoint you our new sales representative!" George said breathily as he lifted his head out of a bucket.

"ATTENTION!" Fred cried standing up on his chair, "ANY PURCHASES, OR INQUIRIES ABOUT ANY WEASLEY PRODUCTS MUST BE CLEARD BY OUR SALES REPRESTENTATIVE, MISS ADDIE WHITE!"

Addie took a bow for the cheering crowd. As she looked up she could see Harry, Ron, and Hermione staring at her. Hermione rolled her eyes in disapproval and slapped Ron on the side as he let out a yelp of approval. Harry was tugging on his collar and smiling awkwardly at no one in particular. He was leaned up against the wall and his black hair was falling into his eyes as he smiled and clapped along with the occasional furtive glance at Addie.

The common room began to empty out and the sounds dwindled down to the occasional turning of a textbook page and the crackling of the fire. Addie had settled near Fred and George earlier in the evening, but the they had both gone to bed and the common room was left to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Addie. She hesitated for a moment before picking up her things and moving toward them.

"Can I join you?" Addie asked, holding her books up to her chest.

Harry looked up at her and stared for just a moment longer than was usual. The firelight illuminated her auburn hair and as she glanced down at them it was not as the confident Addie White that stood on a table and shouted across the Gryffindor common room, but as a scared girl in search of some true friends.

"Of course," He smiled, motioning to a seat next to him.

"Could you help me with my Potions," Harry asked after a moment's silence.

"Sure!" Addie smiled, leaning over toward Harry's book. As she did he smelled the cinnamon-ey scent of Addie's hair. He moved himself away quickly and cleared his throat.

"Sirius!" Ron whispered loudly.

The two jumped back from one another.

"Well, Hello there!" Sirius smiled, his eyes lingering on Addie and Harry. "What have you been up to?"

"It's getting worse by the day," Harry answered for the group, "Umbridge's sent out a decree that says we're not allowed to have Quidditch—"

"Or secret Defense Leagues I suppose…" Sirius added.

"H—How did you know about that?" Harry asked.

"Well you met in the Hog's Head of all places." Sirius laughed.

"Better than Three Broomsticks!" Hermione defended, "There are always people in there…."

"Which makes it harder for you to be overheard, and you would have been less easy to notice." Sirius said.

"Who heard us?" Harry asked.

"Mundungus for one." Sirius said, "He was the witch under the veil."

"For one?" Addie asked, "Who else?"

Sirius turned to look at her and a strange smile spread across his face.

"You really do look like your mother you know…" he muttered, "I knew her…very well."

"Yeah yeah I've heard that sob story a thousand times." Addie dismissed, "Now who else heard us?"

"Your cousin," he said, slipping back into his usual surly disposition, "She's a new addition to the Order, by recommendation of your mother actually."

"Diana?" Addie asked. "She's never been committed to so much as a puffskein!" Addie laughed, "How is she supposed to be in the Order?"

"She was about seven when Voldemort killed her elder sister," Sirius explained solemnly, "She's lived for the day she could avenge her. She's devoted, don't you worry."

"Oh," Addie murmured, "And my mother brought about all of this? That's so odd. Mum hasn't thought of another person a day in her life."

"Your mother is a good woman." Sirius said rather harshly.

"With all due respect sir," Addie answered calmly, "You haven't seen my mother in a long time."

"What was Dung doing in the Hog's Head?" Harry asked before tensions rose.

"I thought that would be obvious." Sirius laughed, "He was looking after you."

"I'm still being followed?" Harry asked angrily.

"Well of course you are." Sirius said, "And you will be for a long time so there's no use in complaining about it."

"Why did he need to hide?" Ron asked, "He could've told us he was there!"

"He was banned a few years ago and that barman can remember the day he was born." Sirius informed us, "and we lost our extra invisibility coat when Sturgis was arrested."

There was a short silence and then, "Oh! I forgot! Ron!" Sirius said, "Your mother told me to tell you that," he put on a high pitched voice, "You are not to be taking part in illegal Defense groups. You'll be expelled and your future will be ruined."

Sirius paused for a moment.

"She also advises Harry and Hermione not to do it, but since she has no authority over you she cannot tell you what to do." He smiled.

"So…do you want me not to do it?" Harry asked after a short while.

"What? I love the idea! It's exactly what your father and I would have done!"

"What if we get expelled?" Hermione asked timidly.

"Hermione, it was _your_ idea!" Addie laughed.

"I just wanted to hear what Sirius had to say." She said with a curious look about her.

"Better expelled knowing how to fight than graduation without a clue." Sirius said.

"Hear Hear!" Harry, Ron, and Addie chanted.

"So, where is this Defense group meeting anyway?" Sirius asked.

"We haven't established a meeting place as of yet." I said.

The conversation continued about possible meeting places, until Sirius stopped mid-speech. His face grew tense, almost fightened, and he banished with a small _pop_.

"Sirius?" Harry called frantically.

"What ha—?"

Addie broke off as Hermione gasped and leapt to her feet.

There was a hand frantically searching through the flames. It was exactly where Sirius's head had been. They stood transfixed at the image of the hand in the flames. The hand was covered large gold rings, rings that could only belong to one person.

"Umbridge" Harry muttered.

"Clearly." Addie whispered softly.


	9. The DA

The events of the night before loomed over each member of the quartet, and though they didn't talk about it they all knew what the others were thinking. Umbridge knew that Sirius had been in the fire. How she found out about him, or how she knew that the letter had been from him was a mystery, but she definitely knew he, or someone else from the Order was going to be in that fire that night. The quartet realized that they had very few methods of communication, and began to feel very alone.

Each agreed that with a mother in such a high standing as Addie, she was the most likely candidate to be able to use the mail without revealing any secrets. The quartet drafted a letter, in code, that could explain the situation to Addie's mother and ask for a message to be passed along to Sirius. The letter was written in code, none-the-less, and the quartet waited anxiously for Ms. White's response. It came swiftly by way of Addie's tiny screech owl.

_Dear Addie,_

_That message will be passed along, I assure you. I will send it along with a family friend since I have not yet visited the Weasleys and most likely will not be seeing them for some time (until Christmas, in fact). Please understand that I am not the best person to pass messages along to that particular individual, given our history._

_Sincerely,_

_Your loving mother_

Addie scowled at the loveless-ness of her mother's tone, and pocketed the letter.

Charms was, as usual, a disaster for Addie as she struggled to silence her bullfrog. Eventually, she gave up on the frog all together and huddled around the table with Harry, Ron, and Hermione to discuss the day's events.

"I think Umbridge has been reading your mail for a lot longer than you may know." Hermione whispered, "I mean, the incident where Filch accused you over ordering Dungbombs was so ridiculous, but it was a reason for her to search your letters."

"Wait," Addie asked, feeling clueless, "what about Dungbombs?"

"Remember the morning I saw Cho in the Owlrey?" Harry said, "Filch came around and accused me of ordering Dungbombs."

Addie paused for a moment, remembering the glow on Harry's face as he'd told her about Cho.

"That's odd." She said finally.

As they left charms they ran into an ecstatic Angelina Johnson.

"We've been re-formed!" she exclaimed.

"Yes!" Addie cried, jumping into the air and hugging Ron and Harry.

"Dumbledore had to get involved though, but that's not important! What's important is that Umbridge lost and our next practice is tonight at seven o'clock. You'd all better be there!" On that happy note she walked over to a nearby table to talk to some older Ravenclaw girls.

"Ah I hope this weather clears up." Ron said gloomily looking outside into the pouring rain.

Hermione was gazing out the window, obviously deep in thought. Her eyes were narrowed and her expression was set in stone.

"Earth to Hermione"? Addie said, waving her hand in front of her face.

"Oh well…I was just thinking." She said her expression still unchanging.

"About Snuffles?" Harry asked.

" No…not exactly…"" said Hermione slowly, "More wondering…I suppose we're doing the right thing…I think….aren't we?"

"Well, that clears that up," said Ron, "It would have been really annoying if you hadn't explained yourself properly."

"Well…" She began again finally looking at them, "I was just wondering if the defense group is a good idea."

"Hermione…" Addie began slowly, "It was _your _idea."

"Well….after what Snuffles said in the fire…"

"I'm not sure what fire you were talking to, but I do believe Sirius was all for the defense group." Addie said indignantly.

"That's exactly my point." She replied harshly, "Don't you think he's well…a bit….reckless?"

"Snuffles has never given us bad advice Hermione!" Harry exclaimed.

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs never got caught!" Addie said.

Harry turned to look at her with a shocked expression.

"My mum," Addie blushed, "She used to tell me lots of stories."

"Your mother…" Harry murmured, "Knew my father well, didn't she?"

Addie's faces softened and she fought the urge to throw her arms around Harry's neck. His green eyes were so full of love and emotion, though his face wouldn't show it.

"You'll probably meet her at Christmas." Addie said softly, "I'm sure she could tell you all about it."

He gave her a small smile and she felt herself melt in her seat.

"Hey Addie!" Fred Weasley called, "Come here!"

"Yes, Fred?" Addie asked. It was very unusual that he was alone. He was always with George, and even they were rarely seen without Lee.

"It's my brother," He sighed, "He's crazy over you."

"What do you mean?" Addie asked.

"What he bloody hell do you think I mean?" Fred laughed.

"Wait a minute…" Addie said, "Which brother are we talking about?"

"George," Fred replied, "But come to think of it Ron does get rather tense whenever you're around…"

"I didn't think George felt like that about me." Addie lied.

"Well he does." Fred stated, "And I think its only fair that you give him a shot to prove himself."

"What do you mean?" Addie asked.

"I'm sure Lee, Megan, and I could arrange something." He said with a familiar grin on his face, "Just wait for us in the changing room after practice."

The weather only seemed to get worse and by the time Qudditch practice rolled around all the Gryffindor players could only dream of going back inside.

"No ones tried our Fever Fudge's yet" George said, "We could try some of those."

"Do they work?" Ron asked as he looked outside at the pouring rained and saw the wind ripping off the branches of nearby trees.

"Well yeah," Said Fred, "Your temperature'll go right up—"

"—but you get these massive pus-filled boils too," said George, ""and we haven't worked out how to get rid of them yet."

"I don't see any boils." Addie laughed.

"No, well you wouldn't," said Fred darkly, "they're not in a place we generally display to the public."

George opened his mouth to speak but Addie stopped him, "That's enough disturbing images to get me through the week, thanks."

"Okay all," Angelina clapped, commanding their attention, "I know the weather is…err…less than perfect but lets go out there and give it our best Gryffindor try!"

"Our best Gryffindor try?" Addie laughed, "That was motivational…"

"I mean it!" She scowled, "and…Harry what was that charm that kept water off your glasses during the Hufflepuff game that one time?"

"Oh right!" Harry said, "_Impervius_" He tapped his face and all the rest followed suit.

Outside the wind whipped through Addie's hair and it took all her strength to not get blown away.

"I say," George shouted, "lovely weather we're having."

"Oh yes!" Addie shouted back, "Positively breathtaking!"

"You know…" Fred shouted at George, "These boils are going to make it right difficult to sit on a broom."

George grimaced.

"I thought we weren't going to put anymore disturbing images in my mind?" Addie shouted angrily.

"ALRIGHT ON MY WHISTLE." Angelina shouted.

As soon as Addie kicked off the ground she was blown off course. She could barely make out the positions of her teammates let alone the location of the Quaffle. She felt a bludger go whizzing past her face and could faintly make out Ron being tossed around by the wind.

No one could clearly locate themselves, let alone their teammates, and midway through what Addie believed to be an effortless play she realized she had drifted over the lake, ball-in-hand. Once Addie had returned with the ball, Angelina insisted that practice continue to her satisfaction. When the Gryffindor team could take no more Angelina begrudgingly allowed practice to end and blew her whistle hard several times before the entire team had realized, joyfully, that practice was over,

Addie fought her way to the ground and trudged her way through the mud-covered path to the changing room. Her uniform and hair were soaked with water and mud and sweat and she could feel her clothes peeling off of her skin as she changed. Once changed, she moved toward her locker to put her sopping clothes away and ring her hair out into a towel.

She had gotten about half-way through drying her hair when she heard a yelp from the corner of the locker room.

He was holding his forehead and his eyes were both closed in pain.

"Harry?" Addie asked, rushing over and putting her hand on his shoulder, "Are you okay?"

"It's nothing," He muttered still clutching his forehead, "Just poked myself in the eye."

He shot Ron a significant look and Addie noticed the two of them slip out shortly thereafter.

_Well that's fine._ She thought. _If he doesn't want to tell me, he doesn't have to!_

"Addie?" She turned around, startled, to see George Weasley. She had forgotten she was supposed to stay back

"Hi," She smiled, drying the last of her hair.

Addie looked up at George and couldn't help but notice that he was extremely attractive. He was muscular and chiseled, and had bright hazel eyes that were always full of mischief and good nature. His freckles and red hair were endearing and Addie knew that no matte where she went with George Weasley that he would keep her safe from harm. She knew that he was all the things that Harry was not, but she remained skeptical.

She could laugh casually in George's presence and not need to worry herself about tight-knit huddles and hushed conversations. She could feel herself opening up to George, if not because she enjoyed _his_ company, but because she wanted to relieve herself of Harry's.

_Come on, Addie, _She thought._ Look at this guy. He adores you! Just like you've always wanted! Give him a chance._

Addie couldn't ignore the reluctance that remained in the pit of her stomach as the smile grew wider on George's face, and he leaned in close to her against the locker. She knew that had she not met Harry she would be smitten with George, but a lot had changed since she'd met Harry and she felt that she couldn't continue living as though they hadn't. Still, the desire for what was familiar; to embrace what is already known ultimately prevailed.

"I didn't think you'd come." He said.

"Why wouldn't I?" Addie smiled flirtatiously.

He looked up and his mischievous smile reappeared.

"Come on," he said grabbing her hand, "Let's go."

He dragged her back out into the rain and she barely had time to pull a hood over her head before her clothes had been soaked through with water. The two traversed the pitch and Addie found herself laughing though no joke had been made. It wasn't until they had entered the warmth of the castle that she noticed they'd been holding hands.

"Good thing it wasn't raining or anything like that." George grumbled, "It would be really annoying if I had to walk all over the castle sopping wet."

Addie sighed, "_Caloris_"

Both their robes dried instantly.

"Well that's a useful little spell." He laughed, "I'll have to remember that."

"It works but it wont dry your hair or face. If you try you just end up with singed tips and a sun burn."

"I'll keep that in mind." He muttered.

"So George Weasley," Addie began, turning to face him, "What sort of plans do you have for tonight?"

"Well," He began, "I was going to take you up to the Astronomy Tower and work my magic, but," He sighed, "it seems that someone up there doesn't want that to happen tonight."

"So…what are you saying?" Addie asked.

"What I'm saying is," George began, "I have decided that this is not the most romantic of evenings, and I think we should save our date for a better night."

"I think that's a good idea." Addie laughed and a gust of wind blew the door open. George instinctively put a protective arm around Addie and she, for the first time, felt safe.

In a flash, Addie saw the look of protection and admiration in George's hazel eyes replaced by Harry's bright green ones. She imagined his arm around her, shielding her from the wind, and felt her heart pound faster.

_Harry fancies Cho, _a nasty voice inside Addie's head spat. _You know it. He doesn't fancy you and he's never shown any interest in you. Why don't you just give up?_

_Ah, yes, _another, gentler voice began, _but he has been acting strange lately. He seems to have shown a lot more interest in you lately than ever before…_

"Well here we are," George said, motioning to the portrait of the fat lady, "ladies first."

"Oh but then which one of us shall it be?" Addie remarked.

"You're the one in the skirt." He said, "And if I go second then I might get an nice view of your—"

"Get in the portrait hole Weasley!" Addie laughed again, playfully hitting his arm.

"Alright, alright," he said rubbing the spot where she had hit him, "It was worth a try. _Mimbulus Mimbletonia_!"

The portrait swung open and Addie crawled in after George. They found Harry and Ron asleep by the fire, books spread open in an obvious attempt to complete their homework.

"Ah," George whispered, "Ickle Ronnie-Kins and Harry the Wonder Boy have finally tired themselves out."

"Harry really has been through a lot." Addie said softly, more to herself than to George.

George looked at her for a moment, "I'll never understand why he fancies Cho Chang instead of you. You're the most amazing girl I've ever known."

"Pish, Posh" Addie laughed, unsure of how to deal with such a raw display of emotion. "I'm sure you've met plenty of girls."

"Oh I've met plenty of girls." George grinned, "Not denying that, I'm just saying none of them were like you."

Addie smiled at him once more. He was unlike Harry in every way. He confided in Addie. He wore his feelings on his sleeve. Harry wouldn't even tell her what was ailing him in the locker room.

_I bet he'd tell Cho._ She thought angrily.

"George," Addie whispered, "I really do like you. I do, but things are so different here. I need time to adjust."

Addie lied quickly.

"Whatever you want." He smiled, but she could sense a pool of hurt forming behind his hazel eyes.

"I'm not saying forever." Addie assured him, "Just not right now."

"So there's hope?" He asked.

"Oh yes." I smiled, "There's hope."

Addie headed to bed with her head reeling and woke up the next morning having hardly rested at all.

"Oh, damn…" Addie mumbled, wiping the sleep out of her eyes.

"Well, well, well…" Parvati giggled, putting her hands on her hips, "Someone had a late night last night eh?"

"What are you talking about?" Addie grumbled as she shifted her body toward her trunk.

"I heard you come in late last night." Lavender said, "And you weren't with a girl, so..."

"Are you implying that you want me to tell you what I was doing last night?" Addie asked as she pulled on her skirt.

"Yes," Lavender replied, "That's exactly what I'm implying."

Addie rolled her eyes and continued to rummage through her trunk in search of clean robes.

"And don't try to tell us you were having Quidditch practice because Angelina came in a good hour before you."

"I stayed back to talk to George Weasley," Addie told them, "We chatted and we were both too wet and tired from Quiddtich practice so we went upstairs."

They both looked highly disappointed.

"Oh and then we had a passionate shag in the Owlrey." Addie added sarcastically.

Their eyes opened in shock.

"You two know I was kidding about that last bit, right?" Addie asked.

The two girls exchanged skeptical glances and giggled the entire way down to breakfast.

Addie walked to breakfast alone and took a seat next to the Weasley twins a few seats down from Harry in order to make a statement.

"What's this I hear about you and my brother in the Owlry?" Fred Weasley teased.

"Whatever you heard it's not true." Addie sighed.

"If you wanted to shag in the Owlry Addie all you had to do is ask really." George laughed from the other side of the table, "I'm not really one for all the feathers and mouse sculls but to each his own I guess…"

"Oh shut up Weasley!" Addie laughed and threw a chunk of her buscuit across the table at him.

The walk to Herbology was muddy, but George accompanied Addie the whole way and she hardly thought of the mud. Once she had left George at the door, Harry, Ron, and Hermione motioned for her to come over.

"We found a place to meet." Harry whispered in her ear sending chills down her spine, "Quidditch practice has been cancelled so we're all going to meet at eight o'clock. I'll meet up with you down at the common room at about fifteen to the hour to show you the way."

Addie looked at him, slightly taken aback and said, "Do you need me to tell anyone else?"

"Well we haven't had a chance to tell Cho and her friend yet so I thought I would—"

"I'll tell her!" Addie interjected.

Ron and Hermione looked at her suspiciously and she added, "Me and her are great friends. Real pals. I needed to talk to her about some err…hair tips anyway…how _does_ she get it so shiny?"

Hermione looked at her, obviously seeing through the lie, and she felt herself blush a bit. As we were leaving the room Ron and Harry rushed up to get a hold of Neville, but Hermione stayed behind.

"Hair tips?" She laughed, "You got it bad huh?"

"Hermione Granger I haven't the slightest clue what you're talking about." Addie said they we walked up toward the castle.

"I know what it's like," She said in a small voice, "To be in love with someone who doesn't know—or appreciate—"

Addie said nothing. Both she and Hermione knew that Ron needed no introduction.

"Oh well," She sighed, "I'll always have Victor, I suppose."

"Victor Krum?" Addie asked, "I read about in the paper."

She smiled, "Ah, yes, Rita Skeeter. How I do miss her…"

"What ever happened to her?" Addie asked, "She used to be everywhere."

"Well," Hermione laughed, "Let's just say she won't be writing for a long, long time."

Addie felt that, judging from the malicious smile that had spread across Hermione's face, that any revenge plot an intelligent girl like her had come up with was best left unsaid.

"Should I just give up?" Addie asked after a moment.

"I think it's very difficult for Harry to admit that he needs anything, especially another person." Hermione said thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?" Addie asked.

"Well, Ron and I discussed it once," Hermione flushed. "Sorry, it just came up."

She cleared her throat and began again, "And we both came to the conclusion that Harry sort of…needs a girl like you."

Addie was taken aback by Hermione's analysis. She had always felt that resentment lingered from the day in the Great Hall. She never would have imagined that Hermione would actually _want_ Addie to be with Harry.

"What?" Addie asked breathlessly.

"You obviously care about him very much." Hermione smiled. "Harry needs someone who cares about him."

Addie couldn't help but smile as the two girls made their way up to the castle.

As Addie entered the Great Hall for dinner she made a slight detour to the Ravenclaw table to make sure she passed the message onto Cho and Marietta. Addie felt her muscles tightened as she spotted Cho, her hair as shiny as ever, leaned in giggling with her Ravenclaw friends. She was pretty. She smiled and laughed and had a girlish air that even Addie could recognize as irresistible. She was a worthy enemy.

"Cho!" Addie called cheerfully, "Can I borrow you and Marietta for a moment?"

Cho's Ravenclaw friends watched Addie with more than a casual interest as she took Cho and Mariette from the Great Hall.

"Harry's found a place for us to meet," Addie whispered when they were out of earshot, "At eight o'clock meet on the seventh floor opposite that tacky picture of Barnabas the Barmy being hit by the trolls."

She looked at Addie skeptically, "What's up there?"

"I have no idea." Addie said, "but that's where Harry said to go so….that's where we're going."

"Alright," Cho nodded, "I'll see you tonight!"

Addie strained a smile, "See you tonight!"

She met Harry, Ron, and Hermione exactly at fifteen minutes until eight. Harry was holding an old piece of parchment very tightly in his hand and they all walked briskly up to the seventh floor.

"Hold on," Harry called, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

To Addie's amazement, as Harry tapped his wand to the parchment tiny spots of ink began to appear until the parchment had turned into an intricate map of Hogwarts. Small dots moved around the page with text indicating who the dot represented.

"Harry….where did you get this?" Addie asked.

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," Harry smiled.

Addie smiled in return and Hermione gave Ron a slight nudge and a knowing glance.

"Alright," He said more to himself than anyone else, "Dobby said it should be around her somewhere."

It happened in the blink of an eye. One minute there was a bare wall, another there was a highly polished door. Addie couldn't believe her eyes as Harry opened the door to reveal a room filled with tools for Defense.

There was what Addie determined to be an old cracked foe glass in the corner. The walls were covered with books on hexes, jinxes, and charms. And there were shelves full of Sneakoscopes and Secrecy Sensors.

"Harry" Addie said breathlessly, "This is wonderful…"

Members began arriving and Addie could sense the air grow tense. Each person in the room was eligible for expulsion if they were caught, but none of them could leave behind the sense of mystery and rebellion that surrounded what they had gathered to do.

When all twenty-five members had arrived Harry stood up and everyone fell silent. Addie noticed him tug nervously at his collar and Isaw the slightest tinge of pink in his cheeks.

_He's so cute when he's nervous_. She thought before she could stop herself.

"Well," Harry began, "Obviously you've all found the place okay."

"It's wonderful Harry." Cho cooed from the back of the room. Hermione shot Addie a warning glance.

"It's weird." Fred muttered, "George and I hid in here once from Filch…but it wasn't like this then…"

"Alright," Harry said, clapping his hands together, "I've been thinking a lot about what to start with and—"

Harry paused and the room turned to see that Hermione had raised her hand to speak, "I think we should vote on a leader."

"Harry's leader." Cho said at once. Harry blushed further.

"Well if we vote it gives him more authority." Hermione replied, "So all in favor of Harry as leader raise your hand."

Everyone raised his or her hands and Harry continued to look uncomfortable.

"Well I've been thinking and—What now, Hermione?"

"We should have a name." She said, "It would make us feel like more of a team."

"The Anti-Umbridge League?" Angelina suggested.

"The Ministry Are Morons Group?" Fred suggested.

"How about You-Know-Who Is For Losers?" Addie suggested loudly.

"I was thinking something that didn't give us away too easily." Hermione said frowning slightly.

"The Defense Association?" Cho suggested smartly, "D.A for short. Then nobody would know what we were talking about."

"D.A works," Ginny interjected, "But lets have it stand for Dumbledore's Army, because that's what the Ministry is most afraid of."

They voted overwhelmingly for 'Dumbledore's Army' despite George Weasley's pity vote for 'You-Know-Who is for Losers.'

"Well I think we should start with the Disarming Charm. _Expelliarmus_, you know. It's simple but it's really useful and—"

"You don't really think _Expelliarmus _is going to work against You-Know-Who do you?" Zacharias scoffed.

"It saved my life last summer when I used it against him…" Harry said softly.

The rest of the room grew very quiet and Zacharias struggled with what to say next.

"Let's make a new rule," Addie suggested. "Let's just say that Zacharias should just keep his mouth shut for the rest of the meeting."

Everyone in the room raised their hand, along with Fred and George who had raised both.

"Motion passed," Addie said definitively.

"Okay," Harry began a slight smile on his face, "Let's all divide into pairs and practice."

Addie partnered herself with Lee Jordan and stood close by the twins who moved quickly from disarming each other to just out-right hexes. Lee was able to disarm Addie after a few practice tries, and Addie found that she was adept at disarming after she was able to rid Lee of his wand after her first try. She looked up to see if Harry had noticed and her face fell as she saw Harry standing by Cho, helping her with the position of her wand. Addie noted dryly that Cho hadn't seemed to be having any trouble until Harry had walked by.

"You make me nervous!" She giggled, flipping her hair out of her eyes.

Addie watched Harry's face go red and she turned her back on him in disgust.

"_Expelliarmus_," She muttered, sending Lee's wand across the room.

The clock struck nine and the members of the D.A filed out of the room.

"We'll all meet next Wednesday, I suppose," Harry said, "See you all then."

Harry pulled out the Marauders Map and led them back to the common room.

"That was really good Harry." Addie said once they had pulled through the portrait hole.

"Did you hear Cho say I made her nervous?" He whispered so only Addie could hear, "I think maybe—maybe she fancies me too!"

Addie looked down at her feet and swallowed her anger, "I'm going to bed."

Once Harry was out of sight she stormed up to the dormitory, threw on her pajamas and thrust herself into her four-poster.

"So much for being what he needs." Addie sighed as she turned out the lights.


	10. Injustice is Served

It didn't take long for rumors to begin flooding the halls about Addie White and George Weasley. The two pretended to ignore the stares and whispers each time George came up behind Addie as she sat by the fire, and Addie avoided Parvati and Lavender each time they approached her, giggling, after he left. The general consensus was that Addie, heartbroken after Harry's rejection, had settled on George as a means of coping. And, as they often say, the truth hurts the most.

It wasn't that Addie didn't like George, in fact, it was exactly the opposite. The couple had even taken to being partners at D.A meetings, a fact that Addie could sense Fred was not happy about. George made her laugh, and was constantly considerate and loving, he just wasn't Harry. Each time Addie looked into his round hazel eyes she couldn't help but transform them into piercing green ones. Each time his red hair glistened in the winter sun, Addie couldn't help but wonder how it would look if it were jet black. The more time she spent with George, the more she wished he were Harry.

She also knew that she could fit in with George's friends. Fred and Lee were friends of her in their own right, and the girls from the Quidditch team had warmed up to Addie since they had seen how well she played. She felt able to laugh and make jokes and ask questions without fear of interrupting or being reprimanded. Even still, Harry's green eyes pierced through every conversation with George. Each time she saw him across the common room, whispering with Ron and Hermione, she longed to be apart of the conversations she claimed to despise.

The more Addie went to D.A meetings, the more infatuated she became. She watched as he led her fellow classmates, and wished she could tell him how impressed she was with his knowledge and skill, but every time she opened her mouth, Cho was a step ahead. Addie wished she could make Harry flush red and tug at his collar with a simple, "Hello," the way that Cho did. She wished that he would leave the D.A meetings and repeat her compliments to Ron and Hermione by the fire, but she knew she couldn't do any of those things. She wasn't even a friend that Harry could confide in any more, just an acquaintance.

With George it was different. Addie saw George redden as she smiled at him, and watched him ruffle his hair each time she shouted a compliment across the room. He brought her small tokens of his affection, whether it be food he stole from the kitchens, or a particularly pretty flower he saw outside. Addie knew that George's attention was on her when she spoke, unlike Harry, whose eyes gazed far beyond their conversations.

"So Addie," George said, kneeling down next to her chair, "we have a big game with Slytherin a week from today."

"Yes George," Addie laughed, "I'm well aware."

"Well I was err—well I was wondering," The common room went silent, "If maybe you'd like to well…err…celebrate with me afterward. When we win I mean…"

"Well isn't that the plan already?" Addie asked. "I mean Fred was talking about smuggling up some butterbeers and…"

"No," George inturrupted, "I mean…just you and me."

"Oh!" She replied stupidly.

"Well…" She looked around. All eyes were on her and George. She sighed. She couldn't reject him in front of the entire Gryffindor common room, and Fred's words repeated themselves in her thoughts.

_He does deserve a shot._

"That would be great, actually." Addie smiled.

George smiled broadly and his eyes twinkled, "You won't regret this, Addie. I know you won't."

"George," Addie said quietly, "I think everyone is staring at us."

"Oh…" He said, looking around the room.

"Right," he cleared his throat, "after the game then…"

"After the game…" Addie smiled.

D.A meetings were put on hold as the Quidditch season drew near. Addie kept the charmed coin in her pocket at all times, hoping to feel its warmth through her clothes and know there would be another meeting. Addie had noticed that the less she saw of the D.A, the less she saw of Harry, and she couldn't help but long for another meeting just to hear him clear his throat from the front of the room once more.

There were, of course, Quidditch practices, but they were hardly the time for flirtation. Even George put his interest in Addie on hold during Quidditch practices, which had grown more frequent and more intense. Ron continued with little improvement, and though Addie tried to encourage him, Fred and George's jokes over powered any compliment she gave.

Even the teachers had begun to get into the Quidditch spirit. Professor McGonagall mysteriously didn't give out homework the weeks leading up to the game, and Professor Snape, in his traditional way, refused to hear accusations of Slytherin attacks on Gryffindor players.

The Slytherin attacks grew worse as the game approached, and in the few days before the game no Gryffindor would be caught dead in the hallways without a companion. Unfortunately for Addie, the Thursday before the game was about to take place she found herself rushing from her dormitory to class without any accompaniment down the deserted third floor corridor.

Addie hadn't thought about Draco in quite some time. He had stayed out of her life, for the most part, after thair last encounter and she had been happier for the loss of him. Once the game between Gryffindor and Slyther approached, however, Addie found that Draco returned with a full force. He was the puppet-master behind the Slytherin attacks, and Addie couldn't go one Quidditch practice without Draco and his cronies shouting at the team from the stands. They did, however, seem to leave Addie alone. While other team members were berated with insults (Ron in particular), Addie was left alone. In fact, Addie had not been the subject of an attack until that fateful Thursday when she found herself alone on the third floor.

As Addie hurried down the long, empty corridor she felt her bag split in two. Her belongings scattered on the floor with a crash and she muttered a curse under her breath as she rushed to clean them up.

She felt someone walk up behind her, and hoped it was someone who could help her pick up her things. Instead, it was Draco Malfoy. He placed a cold hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Look who I've found."

"Let go Malfoy." Addie spat.

"Aww she's frightened." He laughed.

"If you know what's good for you—"

"Trying to defend yourself?" He laughed again.

She plunged her hand into her pocket where her wand lay dormant.

"One,"

"And now she's trying to scare me."

"Two,"

"Uh oh I hope she doesn't get to three."

She flipped her brown hair out of her eyes and wrenched Malfoy's arm behind his back, placing her wand under his chin.

"Three,"

One blast from her wand and Malfoy was left sprawled on the cold stone floor.

"I could blow your brains out right now and not think twice about it." Addie whispered, holding her wand up to his temple.

Malfoy stared wide-eyed at her, his vocal chords frozen with a mixture of shock and fear.

"If you ever try to attack me again Draco Malfoy I'll have you hanging naked from the ceiling and I will not let you down."

She removed her wand from under his chin and he sat upright.

"Good luck at the game on Sunday," Addie winked, as she continued to hurry down the hallway to Transfiguration, knowing she was at least five minutes late.

Draco, however, was not finished with Addie. As soon as he had regained his strength he had run to catch up with her, his grey eyes following her the entire way.

"What?" Addie sighed, not allowing her quick pace to falter under Malfoy's gaze.

"You're perfect." He said. "You're perfect for me. You're smart, independent, strong, and beautiful." He grabbed her hand. "Why don't you see that we belong together Addie?"

"I already told you Draco," Addie said, finally stopping. "You've changed. You're nasty, you're evil, you're selfish, and you're conniving."

"I can change." He pleaded. "Please give me a chance. I'll change."

"Prove it." She said quietly, and then ran into the Transfiguration room without another word.

xxx

Addie woke up the day of her first Quidditch match ready to win. She was ready to show the rest of the school that she was worth more than a pretty face. She was ready to show them that she was a Chaser, and a damn good chaser at that. She hardly bothered to tame her morning hair before running down to the Great Hall to meet with Ron and Harry.

"Ready to win today guys?" Addie asked cheerfully.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Ron mumbled.

He _looked_ like he was going to be sick. His cheeks were marked with a strange green tinge and the pupils of his eyes were small. He seemed terrified. Addie knew that it was his confidence that would be the downfall of the Gryffindor team.

"Ron," Addie began carefully, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, "You're a good Keeper. You'll be fine."

"No I'm not." He said shakily. "I'm terrible."

"Don't think that way, Ron!" Addie cried. "If you tell yourself you're the best then you'll be the best."

"I—is that w—what you do?" he asked staring at his hands.

A broad, confident smile spread across Addie's face, "I don't think I'm the best. I know I'm the best."

Suddenly, Addie felt a decisive finger tapping her shoulder. She turned to see a pale girl with large, quizzical eyes standing behind her. Addie recognized the girl from D.A meetings and school-wide rumors. The girl was Luna Lovegood, and as Addie's eyes roamed from the top of Luna's lion-shaped hat to her mismatched socks, she couldn't help but feel the rumors were true.

Luna smiled, tapped the hat with her wand and it promptly roared loudly. Addie covered her ears and grimaced, but quickly put on a fake smile as she looked over to see that Harry, at least, was amused.

"Wonderful isn't it?" She smiled dreamily. "I'm supporting Gryffindor today."

"Really," Addie muttered, "Never would have guessed…"

Luna paid no attention to Addie's snide comment, but smiled graciously at Ron and wished him luck before floating back toward the Ravenclaw table.

Angelina appeared shortly after Luna's departure to round up the Gryffindor players in order to head down to the pitch. Ron turned an even darker shade of green as he pushed his full plate away from him and slumped toward the Quidditch pitch. Harry and Addie followed close behind, but not before Hermione caught up with them and whispered in both their ears.

"Do not let Ron see what's on the Slytherin's badges."

"Have a good game Ron." She paused for a moment, and then leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, "And that goes for you two as well."

Ron held his cheek where Hermione kissed him all the way down to the pitch. It was lucky, Addie thought, that he had been so mesmerized by Hermione's kiss, because Slytherin badges had flooded the hallway.

"Weasley is our King." They read.

The badges set off a fire in Addie. She had woken up ready to win for her own reputation, but now she was also ready to win for Ron's. Each flash of a Slytherin badge solidified Addie's goal in her mind. She knew that Gryffindor was going to win, and when they did, she intended to take her gloating as far as she could imagine.

"Alright everyone," Angelina said, "Let's go out there and do our best."

Addie held her head up high, and took that final moment to pull her thick brown hair back into a bun. She placed her goggles on her face, slung her broom over her shoulder, and walked confidently out onto the pitch. As soon as she arrived, the crowd went wild. It was Addie White's first real game of Quidditch, and everyone in the stands wanted to know exactly what she was made of.

As the rest of the Gryffindor team lined up next to her, she took a moment to take in the shear size of the Slytherin team. She had seen each of them individually before, and marveled at their size, but standing together the Slytherin team posed a formidable foe. The Captain, who was called Montague, was a burley seventh year who looked as though he could snap a muggle car in half. He winked at Angelina as she took her place in line, and Addie noticed Angelina's facial muscles tighten. Any attention from Montague was attention a girl didn't need. He took his place across from Ron and smiled vindictively. He opened the front of his Gryffindor robes to show a "Weasley is our King" button pinned to his sweater. Addie noticed Ron's face redden as he saw the buttons for the first time. Crabbe and Goyle, the beaters, were just as big and, from what Addie had seen, dumber than a confounded troll even when put together. They stood opposite the Weasley twins and attempted to look tough while clearly overwhelmed by their surroundings. A Quidditch game, Addie imagined, was far too much for Crabbe and Goyle's combined brainpower. She smiled as she thought of the swift and precise partnership between Fred and George. She wasn't worried about Crabbe and Goyle. The three Slytherin Chasers, each as ugly as the one before, stood opposite Addie, Angelina, and Alicia, and anyone who could have gotten a good look would have seen that it truly was a battle between beauty and brawn. Malfoy, of course, stood in the middle of all of them opposite Harry. He was the only member of the team who didn't far exceed six feet in height and looked puny compared to his team members, but Addie wasn't fooled. She had known Draco since she was two and he was a Seeker in every sense of the word. Addie hoped that Harry's game-time abilities lived up to their legacy.

As soon as Madam Hooch blew the whistle and the ball was released Addie had launched herself into the air. Tiny tendrils of brown hair were loosened in the wind and Addie's cape whipped behind her as she began to circle the field.

"And its Johnson, Johnson with the Quaffle, what a player that girl is, I've been saying it for years and she still won't go out with me—"

"She's ducked under Warrington—she flies past Montague—Ouch hit by a bludger by new Slytherin beater Crabbe—Montague makes a move for the Quaffle and—"

Addie recognized an opening when she saw one. She flew quickly toward where the Quaffle had fallen and snatched it only moments before Montague.

"Excellent steal by Gryffindor's new Chaser Addie White—another attractive girl to add to the Gryffindor line-up—don't get any ideas folks rumor has it she's meeting George Wea—oh sorry Professor—Addie reverse passes to Alicia Spinnet and Spinnet's tearing down the field."

Addie followed close behind Alicia, who was being tailed by both Crabbe and Goyle. After avoiding two stray bludgers, and realizing that Alicia was a competent player on her own, Addie slowed her pace.

"—Spinnet dodges Warrinton expertly avoiding a Bludger—and the crowd seems to be singing—what is that?"

A song was rising from the Slytherin side of the stands.

_Weasley cannot save a thing,_

_He cannot block a single ring_

_That's why Slytherins all sing_

_Weasley is our King,_

"—and the Quaffle is passed from Angelina to Addie who is now tearing down to the Slytherins goal post—look at her go!"

Addie, motivated by the Slytherin song, tucked the Quaffle under her arm and made a straight shot for the Slytherin goal.

"—She shoots—she—SCORES!" Lee shouted over the Slytherin singing.

"—ten points for Gryffindor and that was the first goal made by new chaser Addie White."

Addie, always in the mood for theatrics, took a moment to smile at the cheering crowd. It was a moment too long, however, and she suddenly found herself hanging from her broom, having been unseated by a bludger.

"Damn," She muttered to herself as Alicia flew by to pick up the Quaffle.

"—Addie White unseated by a bludger hit by Goyle—can she get back on her broom?" Lee was only able to thinly veil the anxiety in his voice and the Slytherin signing got louder.

"—it seems like the end of the game for Addie."

Addie looked across the field and saw Ron struggling to guard the three goals. She knew that the Gryffindor team needed every player it had to counteract Slytherin's underhanded attack on Ron. With a strength she didn't know she had, Addie hoisted herself back up onto her broom, and moved quickly toward the Quaffle.

"—and it's Warringon with the Quaffle, Warrington's out of the bludger range now with only Ron Weasley, Gryffindors' new Keeper to stop him—"

As Warrington grew closer, the Slytherin singing grew louder, and Addie made a mental note to hex every last one of them once the game had ended.

"—Warrington shoots—"

"Come on Ron." She said quietly.

"—Warrington scores!—better luck next time Ron—"

Addie knew then that she would need to score twice for each Quaffle that got passed Ron. She shot, she scored, she passed, she dodged both bludgers and Slytherins, and at one point she punched Adrien Pucey in the stomach. Angelina and Alicia were more than capable counterparts, and with their help Addie and the other Chasers were able to keep up with the rapid succession of the Slytherin's goals, but they could not beat them.

Addie hadn't paid much attention to Harry for most of the game. The Chasers and Seeker rarely mix, and Addie had been so fixated on making up for Ron's losses that she had almost forgot about the Snitch until Harry flew past her, with Malfoy on his tail.

_They've seen it. _She thought.

Everyone stopped playing. The Quaffle remained safely in Addie's arms. Malfoy was only a hair behind Harry. Harry took his hand off his broom and reached it out toward the snitch. Addie closed her eyes out of fear. There was a roar of approval from the Gryffindor side and when Addie opened her eyes he was holding the snitch high above his head. Then, suddenly, he had fallen off his broom. A brown bludger flew off into the distance and Addie saw Crabbe, floating behind where Harry had been, looking murderous. Madam Hooch blew her whistle and Crabbe was ordered to report to her office once all the players had reached the ground.

"Are you alright?" Addie asked Harry once she had dismounted her broom.

"Yeah I'm fine." He said breathlessly as he struggled to sit up.

"It was that moron Crabbe" Angelina informed them, "He hit you right after you got the Snitch, but that doesn't matter because we won Harry! We won!"

Addie heard and indignant snort and saw Malfoy leaning up against the stands behind them, malice twinkling in his grey eyes.

"Saved Weasley's neck didn't you Potter?" He spat. "He must be the worst Keeper that ever existed. Though he was, born in a bin, did you like my lyrics?"

Addie opened her mouth to speak but she felt a warm hand grab her wrist. She looked up to see Harry staring down at her with is green, imploring eyes, and felt a hot flash come over her whole body.

"Just don't say anything." Harry whispered. He turned toward the other team members to continue the celebration, but his eyes lingered on Ron who was walking alone toward the changing room.

"We wanted to add a couple of verses!" Malfoy called as Harry and Addie posed for a picture. "But we couldn't find anything to rhyme with fat and ugly—you know—about his mother"

"Ignore him." Addie said, more to herself than anyone else.

"—we couldn't fit in anything about being a useless loser either—obviously about his father—"

In a moment, Fred and George lunged. Angelina and Alicia scrambled quickly to get a hold of Fred, while Harry and Addie were left with the daunting task of restraining George.

"—but you like the Weasleys, don't you, Potter?" Malfoy sneered. "Can't see how you stand the smell, but then again you were raised by muggles so even the Weasley's house must smell okay—"

Addie felt her mouth drop as she realized exactly how cruel Malfoy could be. Her eyes narrowed as she stood across from her childhood friend, now bitter enemies.

"Don't listen to him." Addie whispered quickly in George's ear. "You're so much better than that."

"Or maybe…" Malfoy started up again, "you can remember what your mother's house smelled like Potter, and that cheap excuse for a home the Weasley's live in reminds you of it."

Harry let go of George almost the instant the words had left Malfoy's lips. Addie, without Harry's help, was useless against George's strength and she watched as the two scrambled to get to Malfoy first.

"And then there's you Addie." Draco called, as he ducked attacks from both Harry and George. "Your family's no better is it? Now that I think about it, a Malfoy being seen with a White is a disgrace. As if I, the son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, could ever be seen in public with the bastard daughter of some Quidditch no-name."

Addie felt the world around her fade. All she could see was the space between herself and Malfoy, and all she could think about was how quickly that space could be overcome. Her fists felt hot as she took off in the direction of the stands, pushing Colin Creevey out of the way just to get a chance at hurting Malfoy. Before she had even laid a hand on him, she felt a force far greater than her own pull her back toward the pitch, and she looked up to see Madam Hooch, wand in hand, looking down at her. It took her a moment to realize that Harry and George were seated on either side of her, and she took comfort in knowing she wasn't alone.

"Never in all my years at Hogwarts have I EVER seen behavior like this." She cried. "Get up to your head of houses office this instant!"

Addie turned back toward where they had attacked Malfoy and saw him laying in a pathetic puddle on the ground. She smiled knowing that they had beaten him, and that he wouldn't be that smug again for a long time. Harry, George, and Addie were all told to report straight to Professor Mcgonagall's office and with every step they took the severity of what they had done sunk in further.

"In!" She cried angrily, indicating three seats in front of her desk.

"I have never been more ashamed of a Gryffindor in all my life. Three of you attacking one member of the opposite team—explain yourselves."

"We were provoked." Harry mumbled. "Malfoy insulted my mother."

"He insulted my family." George snarled.

"He insulted my—my—patronage." Addie said in an attempt to be diplomatic.

"You should have left it to a teacher to sort out!" She scolded, "You have brought disgrace onto your entire—"

_hem hem_

Dolores Umbridge stood in the doorway. She wore a sickeningly green coat and the same wide smile that Addie had now come to associate with dispair.

"May I be of assistance, Professor?" She asked sweetly. "I thought you would like some extra authority."

Professor McGonagall's face flushed and her eyes narrowed as she stared at Umbridge, "You were mistaken."

She turned back toward the three delinquents.

"All three of you get a weeks worth of detentions, and do not try to get out of it!"

"I think they deserve much more than detention." Umbridge offered.

"Yes but it's what I think that matters, Dolores." McGonagall spat.

"Actually Minerva" Umbridge smiled, "This new decree from the Minister would prove that what I think does count. It says quite clearly here in Educational Decree Number Twenty-five that I have supreme authority over all punishments."

McGonagall sighed and Harry, George, and Addie collectively slumped in their chairs. Whatever was to come next would be far worse than they had anticipated.

"Obviously I was right in not wanting to let the Gryffindor team reform. They're all on quite short fuses if you ask me. Now, I have decided it would be best if we placed a life-long ban from Quidditch."

"A…life long ban?" Addie asked quietly.

"Yes, Mrs. White, a life-long ban." Umbridge simpered. "It's all too bad you had to get mixed up in this. You had so much potential to do well."

Addie, regaining her signature wit quickly, responded with a smile, "Actually, professor, I would say I did a pretty good job on Mr. Malfoy."

"Ah, yes I suppose you would think that." She said her eyes narrowing but smile staying intact. "I will want your broomsticks confiscated. Oh and before I forget, just to be safe, we'll ban this young man's twin as well. Why, if he hadn't been held back, he would have attacked Mr. Malfoy as well!" She smiled again, "Goodnight professor."

The three defeated former athletes left Professor McGonagall's room without a doubt that the ban would be enforced, and without a doubt that there was nothing they, or anyone else, could do about it.

George paused for a moment, and locked eyes with Addie quickly before allowing a small smile to pass across his face.

"Harry, can you tell the rest of the Gryffindors what happened?" George asked.

Harry looked puzzled, "Why aren't you two coming with m—?"

His eyes passed between George and Addie and his eyes grew even more defeated.

"Alright," He said quietly, "You two have fun."

He walked slowly down the hall, and once he was out of ear shot George turned and took Addie's hand.

"Addie," He looked her directly in the eyes, "I'm not letting Umbridge ruin our plans."

"Are you sure you want to do this tonight?" She asked, "I mean….I'm still in my Quidditch robes and…"

"Now or never Addie," George said, "Now or never…."


	11. George Weasley

George took her hand and led her quietly up the familiar hallway to the seventh floor. Addie recognized the route and was not surprised when the two of them stopped before the familiar blank space of wall. George stood quite still, his eyes fixated on the empty stretch until a tall, polished door appeared.

George smiled at Addie and opened the door. The room was unrecognizable. The long shelves that usually contained thick volumes on magical defense were gone, and in their place, war floating candles hung in the air. The empty space that usually occupied the middle of the room had been replaced with an ornate table for two. George pulled out one of the chairs and Addie took her seat.

"I'll be right back," George said, and ran out of the room.

Addie looked around. The room was much cozier than it had been for D.A meetings. A fireplace let off a warm glow not far from where Addie and George would be having dinner, and the springy floorboards that had been so perfect for defense practice had been replaced with a lush red carpet.

A light music seemed to be coming from the walls themselves and Addie sunk comfortably into the heavily cushioned chair as she waited for George to return.

When he did, he was followed be two or three house elves each holding ornate dishes.

"They love stuff like this," George winked as he sat down. "They cooked this all up right on the spot."

"George" Addie said breathlessly as one of the elves placed a bowl of the most delicious smelling soup in front of her, "This—all of this—for me?"

"Well—yeah—" He blushed, "I thought you know…it works for secret defense groups…why not work for dates?"

Addie laughed and the two enjoyed their meal. George told stories of old pranks he had played with Fred, and Addie told him about her past and home school. The two realized that they had much more in common than they had ever imagined. They both had the same favorite Quidditch team, liked the same music, the same books, and had the same love of life.

Throughout the course of dinner Addie learned to love the mischievous that spread across George's face as he spoke of old pranks he'd pulled with Fred, and the quiet protective nature of his gaze. She never felt as though she was under his scrutiny, the way she did with Harry, or that she was an object, the way she did with Malfoy. When George and Addie locked eyes she knew that he was thinking only of her. She learned to love the loud boom of his laugher and the spattering of sprinkles across his nose. The only thing she didn't learn to love, was George Weasley himself.

She couldn't help but think back to Harry, suffering alone in the Gryffindor common room. She couldn't help but feel like ending the dinner all together so that she could sit by Harry's side and help him deal with the terrible loss he'd endured that day.

Despite her obsession with Harry, Addie felt comfortable with George and knew that she could indulge her love of adventure with him just as much as she could with Harry. She could see that George was kind, smart, brave, and had an unyielding desire to experience a life beyond what he had been born into.

"You see," He said, through bites of turkey, "I'm going to travel everywhere. Fred and I are going to open up a joke shop, you know, and we're going to go everywhere."

"Don't forget me!" Addie laughed. "I _am_ your publicity manager."

George looked up. His hazel eyes were wide and earnest.

"Then come with us." He said quietly. "I'll always protect you, Addie."

She froze. The light happiness of the dinner vanished and she felt something hard settle in the pit of her stomach. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, but finally locked eyes with George.

"George, I'm only fifteen. I'm just trying to pass my O.. I'm not ready to plan my whole life yet." He kept his eyes fixed on hers.

"You're always welcome." He said quietly, then turned toward one of the house elves to ask for dessert.

The pair attempted to continue the casual conversation that had made the start of the dinner so pleasant, but the damage had been done. George's voice had taken on a soft, defeated quality, and Addie compulsively shot nervous glances at the door.

The conversation on the way back to the dormitory was strained, and in a final attempt to end the night well, they both resorted to a casual discussion of muggle batteries.

"I'm pretty sure they run out after a while." Addie said as they approached the Fat Lady's portrait.

"No, No, No!" George exclaimed, "Why would you want an energy source that ran out after you used it too much? Muggles are stupid but not _that_ stupid."

"George I don't think you know what you're talking about." Addie laughed, hoisting herself through the portrait hole.

"My father collects batteries." George said following close behind. "If anyone doesn't know what they're talking about it's you!"

Addie raised and eyebrow, "Your dad collects batteries?"

"Ah well…" George laughed, "Among other things…rubber ducks…those odd things muggles use to make the click noise on there computers…remote controls…"

I raised my eyebrow and laughed, "I'm going to bed."

George yawned, "Ah yes I do need my beauty sleep."

"Thanks for a great time…." Addie smiled, "I really enjoyed myself."

"So did I…" George muttered his ears going slightly red at the top, "Goodnight Addie…"

"Goodnight George."

"Wait!" he called after her.

Addoe turned around slowly, "Yeah?"

"So…after tonight…we're still…"

"Friends" Addie told him, "Best friends."

"With benefits?" He asked. The mischievous crooked smiled appearing on his face once more.

"Goodnight George" Addie sighed.

"See you tomorrow, Addie."

xxx

Addie awoke the next morning to the familiar sight of Harry, Ron, and Hermione huddled by the fire. She smiled sadly to herself and passed by them without a second glace. She had resigned herself long ago to the notion that she was not wanted in the trio's private conversations. She could hardly mask her surprise when, just as she was about to pass them by, Hermione called out to her, "Addie! Addie come here!"

Addie turned slowly. She saw them beckoning for her to join them, but felt frozen in her spot. What had changed? Why was she now included?

It dawned on her, almost moments after she had posed the question to herself, that the answer was simple. Addie had gotten into trouble alongside Harry. Addie had fought injustice by his side and, as a result, had earned the trust of the Golden Trio. She was in, if she wanted to be.

Addie paused. She thought briefly of turning her back on them and walking toward the table where Fred and George had begun a loud game of exploding snap. Then, an idea dawned on her. If she was going to be accepted now she was going to be accepted on her own terms. And why deprive herself of what was sure to be an interesting story?

"Yes?" She raised an eyebrow as she sat a little ways out of their circle.

"Hagrid came back last night." Hermione whispered.

"Who?" Addie asked, leaning back on her hands.

"Hagrid! Remember our friend who was missing? The Care of Magical Creatures teacher?" Hermione explained, forgoing her usual aggravation at Addie's lack of background.

Addie merely nodded in response.

"Well he told us where he's been all of this time and…he was trying to recruit giants for the Order."

Addie's curiosity had be peaked. Her cool demeanor vanished as her brown eyes grew wide, "He was doing what? Isn't that extremely dangerous?"

"Well he's part giant himself, but yes it was very risky." Hermione whispered biting her lip.

"So, did he—you know—did he get to the giants?" Addie asked, moving herself closer to the circle.

"They got there," Harry began, bitterness evident in his tone, "But the Death Eaters had gotten there first."

"They?" Addie asked, eager to understand everything. "Whose 'they'?"

"Madame Maxime, another part giant, went with him." Ron told her. "But that's not the most important part. About halfway through our talk with him last night….Umbridge showed up."

"What did you do?" Addie asked, feeling more and more like a child being read a particularly good bed time story.

"We hid under my invisibility cloak." Addie made a mental note that Harry had an invisibility cloak. "We were able to hear the whole conversation and, well, we think she knew where Hagrid was all this time."

"No!" Addie cried.

"Yes, and what's worse we think she's going to try to get him fired." Hermione said. "And he won't let me help him with his lesson plan."

"What are you going to do?" Addie asked.

"Well I'm going to go down there today." Hermione said. "In fact…I should get going. Goodbye everyone!" She grabbed her book bag and hurried out of the portrait hole.

As a result of Hermione's absence, and Addie's happiness at re-admittence into Harry's circle of friends, she spent the rest of the afternoon editing and re-editing both Harry and Ron's homework.

"So…" Addie began as she scratched out a sentence in Ron's Potions essay. "Aside from starting secret societies, preparing for O., saving the wizarding world, and generally irritating high ranking ministry officials…what else do you all do?"

"I used to play Quidditch…" Harry muttered darkly as haphazardly flipped through pages in his Potions book, "But I'm on a life time ban."

Addie placed a tentative hand on his shoulder and the two exchanged a quick glance, "Aren't we all?"

Ron's ears flushed red at their tips, "It's all my fault…" he said sadly.

"It is not!" Addie assured him. "It's Malfoy's, and no one else's."

Ron looked up at her, "You two used to be friends."

"He changed." Addie replied shortly over top of his essay.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, closing the Potions book all together.

"Well," Addie began, "The Draco Malfoy I knew wasn't—he just wasn't—well I'll give you an example. There was this one time when I was around nine when I went to his birthday party."

"You went to his birthday parties?" Ron gaped.

"I told you my mother is very involved in pureblood politics—anyway back to my story." She cleared her throat, "I was still nine and he was turning ten. I had gotten really sick on the trip over to his house, and well…the thing about Draco's birthday parties was that they weren't really _for_ him. They were more of a way for his dad and mom to invite people over and show off how well behaved their son was. So I got quite sick and I had to stay up in their guest bedroom the whole time because my mom didn't want to leave and well…instead of staying downstairs at the party and eating cake and opening presents and all of those sorts of things….Draco stayed with me."

Harry and Ron exchanged startled glances.

"MALFOY….did that?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Addie smiled nostalgically, "Draco did that…."

There was a pause and Addie realized it was her turn to ask a probing question.

"So Ron," She began, deciding it was best not to try and crack Harry just then, "What's it like at your house? With all those brothers and sisters….does it get really hectic during the holidays?"

"Ah well I'm used to it…" He replied quietly.

"No, I really want to know." Addie placed a friendly hand on his knee and he blushed. "How was it growing up with all those brothers and sisters?"

"You really want to know?" He asked. His voice grew suddenly stronger. "Well I'll tell you then. See I'm the fourth boy in my family—the fourth!—I came right after a set of twins so there was really nothing special to be done about me. My dad really loves his job but it doesn't pay well so everything I own is a double hand me down, you know it was passed from Bill to Charlie, Fred or George then me? Well anyway—nothing I have started out as mine and what's worse there's nothing I can do to set me apart from any of my brothers. I mean Charlie was this big Quidditch star when he went to Hogwarts and—well you saw how well I did with Quidditch—"

"You weren't bad Ron!" Addie sympathized.

"You're right I was complete rubbish." He sighed. "And then Bill—well if you've ever met Bill he's just really _cool_ and he works and Gringotts and is really successful. Then there's Fred and George and they're really well known for the pranks they pull here, and that joke shop they're starting is bout to be a hit. So what's left for me to do? I mean, there's always Ginny but she was the first Weasley girl in ages so she has her own legacy. And, of course, she's really popular and talented just like the rest of my siblings so—"

"Ron," Addie smiled. "You're just as good as any of your brothers. Look at what you've done so far, and only at the age of fifteen! You're a hero, Ron!"

"Nah," His ears tinged red, "Harry's the hero…I'm just the sidekick."

"Better then the no-name loser who just stands aside and watches it all happen. There are people who would kill to have gone on the adventures you've gone on. Really Ron, you've actually made a difference in the world by doing half the stuff you've done…really…"

Before anything more could be said Hermione came tumbling through the portrait hole. She was shivering and covered with melted snow. Her hair, which was normally frizzy, was now sticking out at all sorts of strange angles and she sat down with a dull _thud_ in the armchair by the fire.

"He—is—impossible!" she exclaimed tossing down her books, "He refuses to listen to a word I have to say! He's going to get fired because he's so stubborn!"

The next morning at breakfast there was a buzz of interest surrounding Hagrid's reappearance. Fred and George were delighted to see him and ran down to greet him at the start of the meal, but others, like Parvati and Lavender just shot him disapproving looks from their end of the table.

"Harry?" Addie asked over breakfast. "Why isn't everyone else as excited about Hagrid as you are?"

"Well…" Harry began, "Hagrid had a tendency to err—get a bit—dangerous—with his lessons…"

"Dangerous?" Addie inquired. "How so?"

"Well…he underestimates how powerful certain animals can be…"

"And how stupid certain students can be." Hermione added throwing a dark look in the direction of Malfoy.

Addie eagerly awaited her first Care of Magical Creatures lesson, and practically ran to the familiar hut when it came time for class. She was immediately greeted by Hagrid's daunting size. She had been told that Hagrid was part giant, but it had hardly prepared her for the reality of his size. He smiled hopefully as the students took their places around the hut. His face was covered in bruises and he carried a dead cow on his shoulder. Addie attempted to slip to the back of the crowd, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione insisted on standing up front.

"We'll be in the forest today!" Hagrid informed them once all the students had arrived, "The creatures we're doin' today prefer the dark…" He trailed off and led them toward the forest.

Addie could hear Malfoy standing behind her, "D—did you hear what he said preferred the dark? I didn't quite—"

"Scared Malfoy?" Addie laughed as she hurried to catch up to Ron and Hermione.

"A'righ" Hagrid began, "I've bin savin' a trip inter the fores fer yer fifth year. Now, wah we got ere today is pretty rare. I'm the on'y person in Britain who's managed ter git 'em trained…"

"And you're positive that they're trained?" Malfoy's panicked voice came from the back of the group, "You've brought wild stuff to class before how're we supposed to know what's safe and what's not?"

"Oh shut up Malfoy." Addie snapped. "The man says they're trained then they're trained."

"Addie, considering you have no knowledge of what this class was like _before _Professor Grubbly-Plank, why don't you keep your nose out of other people's business for once?" Malfoy sneered.

"Why don't you shut your fat mouth for—"

"As I was sayin'" Hagrid interrupted, "We're goin' inter the fores today cuz I got sem creatures in der I'm sure yer gonna like. Now follow me."

The entire class, willingly or not, followed Hagrid into the forest. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Addie walked briskly behind Hagrid while other students lingered behind. They walked deep into the forest to a place where the trees stood close together and only small slivers of light illiminated the clearing.

"Come 'ere, gather roun', "Hagrid said, "Now they're attracted by the smell o' the meat but I'm goin' ter call 'em anyway…"

Hagrid let out a loud cry that started most of the class. To Addie's amusement, Malfoy had been so frightened that he had tripped and fallen into a puddle of muddy snow. Hagrid paused, and gave the call once more.

Addie looked around. She couldn't see anything. Harry, on the other hand, was staring determinedly at one corner of the clearing. He nudged Ron. Addie looked to where Harry had pointed but saw nothing at all.

To Addie's relief, she was not the only student who was having trouble with the lesson. Her fellow classmates were looking around wildly, all aware that there was something moving behind the thick brush that led up to the clearing, but all unable to make out what it was.

"Now…if yeh can see 'em raise yer hand…" Hagrid instructed.

Addie looked around the group. Neville, Harry, a tall Slytherin boy, and two others raised their hands.

"Yeah," Hagrid said knowledgeably, "I knew you'd see 'em Harry. An' Neville too? Ah an'—"

"Pardon me for asking." Malfoy's voice came from the back. "but what exactly can they see?"

Hagrid dropped the cow's dead body from his shoulders. The class waited anxiously for a few moments and then were horrified to watch as the body began being ripped to pieces by some unknown force. The smell of the cow's innards hit the crowd and blood flew from and unknown source. Parvati screamed. Addie, out of pure instinct, grabbed Harry's hand and was surprised to find that he didn't let go.

"Its fine." He whispered in her ear. "They're not going to hurt you."

"What's happening?" People demanded, "What's eating it?"

"Thestrals." Hagrid announced, "We 'av a whole heard here at 'Ogwarts an—"

"B—but aren't they supposed to bring bad luck." Parvati interrupted.

"Nah," Hagrid chuckled, "Tha's jus an old wives tale. They aren't unlucky at all. 'Course all they do here is pull the carriages…ah! Here's another one."

Addie watched the leaves rustle and heard the soft crunch of footsteps in a place where nothing appeared to be standing.

"Now they're not dangerous." Hagrid told us, "Now ten points ter whoever can tell me why some o' ya can see 'em an' some can't."

Hermione's hand shot up in the air.

"Alrigh' Hermione give it yer bes shot." He said.

"Only people who have seen death can see thestrals." She said.

"Exactly right. Ten points to Gryffindor."

Addie looked quickly at Harry. His eyes had gone hollow beneath his glasses and he was staring even more intently at the spot where the cow's body lay. Addie had learned to recognize that look. At the slightest mention of the year before, of Cedric or the terrible events of the Triwizard Tournament, the same hollow look would appear in Harry's eyes. He was beyond the forest, beyond Hogwarts, beyond his hand which was still holding hers. He was deep in thought, deep in memory, deep in a place that Addie was quite certain no one else would dare go.

_Hem Hem_

The life returned quickly to Harry's eyes. He spun around and his eyes narrowed in disgust as they landed on Professor Umbridge. A sickening smile was spreading across her round face. It was the same smile Addie had watched spread across her fat face as she'd delivered the Quidditch ban. Harry let go of Addie's hand.

"Hello!" Hagrid greeted her happily.

"Did you receive my note this morning?" She said in a slow, condescending tone. It became apparent that Umbridge was under the impression that Hagrid would have difficulty understanding her.

"Yeh I got it." Hagrid replied, "I was worried yeh wouldn't fin' where we were meetin'. Not really sure if yeh can see 'em but we're doin thestrals today—"

The remainder of class was utter chaos. Umbridge circled the class, intimidating both the students and Hagrid, and ruining the lesson for everyone.

Harry's free hand was now balled into a fist. He watched Umbridge with all the hatred he possessed as she talked to Hagrid in her slow, didactic tone. Hermione's eyes were tearing as she muttered about Umbridge under her breath and Ron was giving her various looks of shock as every one horrible thing she did exceeded the one before it.

Addie watched, seething, as Umbridge walked up to talk to Pansy Parkinson, "Do you understand Professor Hagrid when he talks?"

"No…because…well it's mostly grunting isn't it?" She replied, tears of laughter springing to her muddy brown eyes.

Umbridge smiled and scribbled down a note on her clipboard. Hagrid looked down at his feet sadly and pretended as though he hadn't heard.

"Well the good thing abou' thestrals is that once they're trained they'll never get lost. They have a 'mazin sense o' direction so you jus have to tell 'em where yeh want ter go 'an they'll know exactly where it is."

"You can see the thestrals can't you, Longbottom?" Umbridge asked.

"Yeah…I saw my granddad die when I was about five an…"

"How do they make you _feel_?" Umbridge asked.

"Well…" Neville stuttered, "They're okay I suppose…"

"Students….too….frightened…to…admit….dislike…" Umbridge said as she made note of Neville's answer on the clipboard.

"I can see them!" Addie cried out. "And I think they're wonderful!"

The class turned to face her.

"No you can't!" Pansy spat, "You didn't even raise your hand!"

"I didn't want to bring back painful memories!" Addie spat back. "It was only a year ago when my mother's dear friend—her dear friend—"

Addie looked around frantically for inspiration on a name. She looked into the tall trees and saw a few tiny clovers sprouting from the branches.

"Her dear friend Clovis passed way!" Addie finished her sentence quickly.

"Clovis?" Pansy asked skeptically, "Oh please!"

"Out of respect for the dead, _Pansy_, I would ask you not to speak lightly of my mother's dead friend."

"Fine then," She smirked and folded her arms across her chest. "What do they look like, then?"

Addie's eyes shifted from Pansy to the rest of the class, "What do they look like?"

"Well if you can see them, you shouldn't have any trouble telling us what they look like."

"Right, well, since I _can_ see them it'll be no problem to err—to tell you all what they look like."

Addie looked around frantically for any clue as to what these creatures could look like. She left no corner of her memory unturned, but was certain that she had never heard of a thestral before. Harry shifted uncomfortably next to her and Ron and Hermione shot each other worried glances.

"Well," Pansy spat, "Get on with it then."

"Well…they're…err"

"Black…" Harry whispered out of the corner of his mouth, "Black winged skeletal horses."

"They're black." Addie said quickly. "They're black winged horses, and they're very…err…skeletal…"

"Is that right?" She turned to the tall Slytherin boy who had raised his hand.

"Yeah…" He muttered, "That's right."

Addie smiled and flipped a black curl over her shoulders. "Told you."

Umbridge coughed again loudly and scribbled on her clipboard, "Class….appeals…to…delinquents….."

She smiled. "Professor Hagrid you will receive your notice of inspection in ten days time."

She bustled happily from the clearing humming something under her breath. Addie watched narrow eyed as she disappeared into the deep thicket of forest. Malfoy and Pansy were on the floor with silent fits of laughter. Hermione, Ron, and Harry were actually shaking with fury, and the rest of the class looked thoroughly confused.

"Oh she makes me so mad!" Hermione fumed as they stormed back up to the Gryffindor tower, "She's just a prejudice old hag! She's so…so..."

"Evil?" Harry suggested.

"Slimy?" Ron put in.

"Tacky?" Addie laughed.

"Is all you think about that ridiculous sweater?" Hermione spat, "There are much worse things about that woman than her sweater."

"Coming from the daughter of a model, there really isn't." Addie replied.

"YOU ARE IMPOSSIBLE!" She screamed, running up to the girl's dormitory.

Harry and Ron looked uncomfortably from the dormitory steps to Addie.

"I should start on my homework." She said.

"You're not going to go after her?" Harry asked, "She seemed pretty upset."

"I'll talk to her." Addie told him, "After she has some time to cool down. If I go up there now there will be a big yelling match, and I run on a short fuse…."

"Yes…I suppose you're right."

xxx

December for Addie usually mean pureblood parties and an empty home. During the holiday season, Sherri White worked overtime endorsing products and attending Holiday events. Addie had become accustomed to seeing her mother very rarely during the one time of year that was meant to be about family.

This year, however, things were different. Addie's new status as a celebrity meant that the packages that were flooding the White household were not only for Sherri, but of her daughter as well. Every wizard company from Gladrags to Wonder Witch wanted Addie to be seen wearing their products before the end of the holidays. Addie reveled in her new celebrity. Package after package arrived with free gifts, and Addie allowed her confidence to soar as she strutted down the halls of Hogwarts with only the most expensive accessories.

Addie would be going home for Christmas in the large old house that she hadn't seen since she'd arrived at Hogwarts. Harry was staying with Ron at "the Burrow" which Addie had come to learn mean the Weasley home.

To Addie's delight, Ron and Hermione found themselves unusually occupied with their prefect duties, which mean that Addie had begun to spend a considerable amount of time alone with Harry. The holiday spirit, however, had overtaken Hermione and she became obsessed with the creation of her house-elf hats.

"Hermione…" Addie began, "What if they…don't want to be free?"

"Of course they want to be free!" She cried, knitting furiously.

"Don't even bother," Ron whispered, "She's absolutely bonkers when it comes to house elves. When she was staying with me over the summer I swear I saw her putting on big fake ears and dancing around her bed—"

"I never did that!" Hermione cried, turning a deep shade of red.

"You know Hermione," I said, "if you think about it…maybe during the Christmas season it's better for house elves to not be free."

"What does _that_ mean?" She asked incredulously.

"Well," Addie started, "it's horribly cold outside and what are a bunch of newly freed house elves going to do? They don't have a home. They don't have anywhere to go. If they don't starve to death first they'll freeze."

"Well if they were allowed a wand they could—"

"No they couldn't Hermione!" Addie retorted. "They wouldn't know how to use them, and even if they did they'd still have a place to live!"

Hermione grew quiet and continued to silently knit her hat.

"Ron!" Hermione leapt up from her chair, "Ron we have to help decorate the Great Hall today we're going to be late."

Before he could reply she had scooped him up and thrown him out the portrait hole.

Addie turned to Harry, "You know I'm really worried about those house elves…she doesn't realize it but a lot of them don't have a place to go and…"

"Don't worry" Harry stopped her, "I'm friends with one of them. His name is Dobby. He's rather—odd. Odd for a House Elf I mean. He's been taking all of the hats."

"Really?" Addie laughed, "All of them?"

"Yep" Harry replied, "Every last one."

Harry and Addie sat by the fire and exchanged casual stories about their lives prior to meeting. Addie made sure to guide the conversation, and to steer clear of any mention of the darker aspects of Harry's past. This proved difficult, and soon the discussion shifted to a lively re-telling by Addie of Malfoy's first go on a broomstick.

"Malfoy thinks he's so hot on a broom." Addie sneered, "But I know the truth. I was there for Draco's first flying lesson, and it didn't go very well."

"Really?" Harry asked, "What happened?"

"Well, he had been begging his mother for lessons for _ages_, she's very protective of him, you see, but she finally gave in, or Mr. Malfoy put his foot down—that's how things go in the Malfoy house."

"I could have guessed that." Harry snorted.

"It's very traditional." Addie said. "So, Draco is all ready for his first Quidditch lesson which he was receiving from my mum's boyfriend at the time (which is why I was there) and he decides that he's going to put on these ridiculous sun glasses so that he can look cool while flying."

Harry laughed again.

"Wait, it gets better." Addie smiled. "So he puts on these sunglasses and hops on the broomstick way before his instructor is even ready and zooms off into God-knows-where."

"How did he get down?" Harry asked.

"Well he didn't, not for a long time anyway, they ended up having to call in some Ministry officials to track him down. Turns out about halfway through his little adventure he got stuck in some muggle family's chimney and had been sitting in it crying for about two hours before the ministry showed up to get him down. The family, of course, was completely flabbergasted and they ended up having to alter the memories of every last one of them. It cost the Malfoy's a pretty penny, let me tell you…"

Harry laughed uproariously and Addie followed suit. The two doubled over in front of the fireplace, and held their stomachs until they could talk again.

"You should laugh like that more often, Harry." Addie said once they had both calmed down. "I read in a book once that people who laugh regularly are able to complete spells more effectively than those who don't."

"I don't usually have many reasons to laugh." He muttered.

"Oh," Addie said quietly.

"You never seem to run out of reasons to laugh though do you?" He asked. "Every time I see you, you always seem to be enjoying yourself."

"If there isn't a reason for laughing, Harry Potter, I don't see a reason for living at all. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel, some people just choose not to look for it."

He stared at her with wide-eyed curiosity. Addie, feeling bold, moved a few inches closer to him. She could feel his intake of breath.

"You're a very mysterious person" Addie whispered. Her face was only an inch from his.

He opened his mouth to say something but then stopped himself, "I have to go get ready for the last D.A meeting, and I'll see you there."

He got up quickly and hurried off to the boy's dormitory leaving Addie alone, confused, angry, but most of all, in love.

xxx

Addie needed to prepare for the D.A meeting too. She scurried up to the girl's dormitory and tore open her pink trunk. As far as she was concerned she had just had her first almost-romantic-encounter with Harry Potter, and she wasn't going to let him forget it easily. She ripped through the piles of new clothes, unable to find anything she thought was good enough. Finally, she settles on a pair of slim, dark jeans and a powder blue t-shirt with the Gladrag's Wizard Wear emblem on the front. She let her dark hair fall in loose curls around her face, and nearly slammed into Harry as she was running to make sure she wasn't late for the meeting.

Angelina Johnson was with him. Addie stood by nervously as she overheard talk of the new Gryffindor Quidditch team. Her blood boiled.

"Ginny Weasley is the new seeker…crazy I know…and we have Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper as Beaters…though Fred and George could run circles around them, and as Katie's grades still haven't picked up we got Colin Creevey as Chaser."

"Colin plays Quidditch?" Harry asked.

"Yeah." Angelina said unenthusiastically, "but not very well…

The room began to fill as everyone waited for the last D.A meeting before Christmas. Harry stood, as always, at the front of the room, and smiled graciously at the compliments he received on the room's Christmas decorations.

"Well I was thinking we should just go over what we learned so far." Harry said calling the meeting to order.

"Addie!" George called, "Come be my partner!"

"I can't believe we're not doing anything new!" Zacharias called, "I wouldn't have come if I'd have known!"

"Well then we're all very sorry you weren't informed." Fred called loudly.

Addie practiced _Impedimenta_ and was delighted to find that George could not break her spell and remained frozen for at least a minute. Harry congratulated her on her progress. Addie flushed. George returned quickly and took Addie by the arm. They both took turns hexing Zacharias from behind and watching his confusion. George remained very protective of Addie for the rest of the evening.

Addie had no idea that George had been watching her fawn over Harry for most of the evening. Her blood boiled as she watched him help Cho with the position of her wand, and as she giggles when he touched her hand. George had watched the color rise in Addie's cheeks and had followed her gaze to Harry's hand clasped in Cho's.

"I think," George whispered, "You're getting a bit too worked up over _Cho Chang. _Why don't we get back to practicing stunning?"

Addie's eyes widened in shock. She stumbled through and apology and George smiled sympathetically at her. His eyes, though, were very sad.

_I'm sorry George_. Addie thought. _But you're just not Harry._

Harry instructed everyone to split into two groups to practice stunning. One group would watch the other and give critique while the other practiced the actual spells. When it was time for Addie and George to perform before the group, Addie felt a familiar swell in her confidence. She had learned to love the feeling of people watching her. She had learned to revel in her newfound fame and always tried to be just as wonderful and those around her wanted her to be. She smiled charmingly and waved at the crowd as she pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail. She adopted a confident stance and pulled her wand out of her back pocket. Her eyes narrowed as she watched her target.

"_Stupefy!_" She cried.

George went flying backward into the crowd. Addie smiled and looked to Harry for approval. He did nothing but nod. Addie felt some of her once-abundant confidence disappear.

"Take your best shot, Weasley!" She called, trying to save face in front of the crowd.

He did take his best shot, and she felt herself flying backwards into the wall just as he had done. She waited eagerly for Harry's comments, but all he said was "well done" and the pair sat back down. He wouldn't give Addie a second glance. He fixed his eyes straight ahead and refused to look at her. She almost felt as though she was going to cry. She took several deep breaths and allowed George to place a tentative hand on the small of her back.

Addie walked back to the Gryffindor common room confused and defeated. Various members of the D.A passed by to wish her a Merry Christmas and she half-heartedly returned the sentiment. Fred and George had gone off to steal from the kitchens but she had neglected the invitation in hopes that she and Harry could walk back to Gryffindor together. Unfortunately, Harry was nowhere to be found, and neither, Addie noticed painfully, was Cho.

Addie silently completed her homework. She sat only a few feet away from where Ron and Hermione sat, huddled together, whispering about Harry. She pressed her pen harder to the parchment, trying not to hear what they were saying. A half an hour later Harry returned to the common room.

"What kept you so long?" Ron asked as Harry plopped himself down in the armchair next to Hermione. He didn't answer.

"Harry?" Hermione asked timidly looking up from her letter, "a—are you alright?"

Addie saw Harry shrug out of the corner of her eye.

"It was Cho wasn't it?" Hermione asked curtly, "What happened after the meeting?"

Ron stifled laughter as he asked, "W—well what di—did she want?"

"She—" Harry began, his voice shaking.

She turned around for the first time to see that all the color in Harry's face had drained away and his lip was quivering slightly as he spoke.

"She—well—" He stuttered.

"She kissed you didn't she." Hermione laughed.

Ron was so startled by the news that he knocked over an ink bottle and it spilled all over the rug. Addie, on the other hand, turned and fixed her eyes on the fire. Harry had kissed another girl. Harry had kissed another girl after spending the entire afternoon laughing with Addie. She felt hot tears fill her eyes, but knew she couldn't go back to the girl's dormitory without passing right by Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She remained in place and tried painfully to give the impression she was doing her homework.

"Did you?" Ron demanded staring avidly at Harry.

He nodded slightly and Addie's stomach dropped.

"How was it?" Ron asked in awe.

"Well…." Harry confessed, "It was rather wet actually…"

Addie felt as though she was going to be sick.

"She was crying…" he continued.

Ron gave a self-satisfied smile, "Who cries while kissing?"

"Cho cries all the time." Hermione said absently finishing the third roll of parchment for her letter, "She cries during meals, in the loo, everywhere she sees fit."

"You'd think a bit of kissing would cheer her up," said Ron, grinning.

"Ron," said Hermione in a dignified voice, "You are the most insensitive wart I have ever had the misfortune to meet."

"Well honestly!" Ron cried, "What sort of girl cries while she's kissing someone?"

"Don't you understand how Cho is feeling?" Hermione asked, "She's very upset because of how she felt about Cedric, and now she's feeling even worse because she likes Harry. And now she'll probably be guilty because she kissed someone so early after Cedric died and she can't really work out how she feels about Harry since he was the one who saw Cedric die, and to top it all off she's not playing well in Quidditch so she might get thrown off the team!"

"One person can't feel all that at once, they'd explode." Ron said.

"Just because you've got the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn't mean we all have." Hermione said nastily.

"S—She started it" Harry told them gloomily, "I didn't—I wouldn't have—I was just there—and then she was crying all over me—do you think she's really upset over all that?"

Addie felt the words fly out of her mouth before she could stop them

"Either that or you were just a really horrid kisser." She said loudly.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned to look at her. Ron stifled laugher while Hermione shot Addie angry looks from behind Harry.

Harry stared at her, horrified, "You don't think—"

"Well, had you ever kissed anyone before?" Addie asked, closing her book and turning to look Harry in the eyes. Everything about her revealed the firey anger that had taken the place of her original sadness. She locked her eyes on Harry's, and he shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, no—"

"Well, she has kissed more than one person before." Addie said curtly. "In fact, she's kissed more than one person before. Chances are she could tell you were an amateur."

Harry looked horrified, and Addie felt a slight pang of guilt through her anger.

She got up, and walked passed the trio on her way to the dormitory.

"I'm sure you were fine, Harry, I was just playing with you." Addie said dejectedly as she passed. "I'm—I'm—happy for you." She added with disgust.

Hermione's gaze turned from anger to pity and she shot Addie a watery smile as she walked dejectedly up toward the dormitory.

"So are you going to see her again?" Addie heard Hermione ask.

The words stung her chest and with every step she took they cut deeper. The confidence she had gained over the Christmas season left her quickly and she felt alone, ugly, and underappreciated. She lay on her four-poster and was happy to find the silence of the dorm. She hoped that for some reason none of the girls would come back that night. She'd hoped she could have had the night alone.

"Are you okay?" Hermione's timid voice came from the doorway.

"Fine," Addie replied lifelessly. "Never better."

"That's a lie." She took a seat at the foot of Addie's bed. "I saw how you looked down there. Would you like to talk about it?"

"Hermione," Addie sat up. "I don't really—I'm not really the type of person who—who shares their feelings with—with others."

"There's a first time for everything." She smiled.

"Look," Addie told her, "I'm done. No more chasing after Harry Potter, no more pretending there's something between us; no more making a fool of myself following around a boy who will never look at me as more than a friend."

"You shouldn't. You really love him and I'm sure he'll come to love you…"

"No Hermione, there are some things more important than love, and my pride is one of those things."


	12. Black and White

Addie hardly slept that night, and was grateful for the sounds of Lavender, Parvati, and Hermione tumbling out of bed so that Addie could do the same. She rolled out of bed and saw that Hermione had left long ago, presumably during the half-hour window when Addie had gotten some sleep. She arrived moments later in the girl's dormitory, looking frantic.

"Addie! Addie! Oh good you're up!" She rushed over toward the bed.

"What?" She moaned, pulling her pillow over her ears.

"Addie," She shook her, "It's about Harry!"

"Oh," Addie said bitterly, "Well in that case let me just jump right out of be—"

"He's gone." She said solemnly. "Harry, Ron, and all the rest of the Weasley's are gone."

Addie removed the pillow from her ears and sat up. Harry was gone. Ron was gone. Fred and George were gone, but where?

"Gone?" Addie gulped. "What do you mean….gone…"

"Ron left me this." She handed Addie a note with messy handwriting scrawled across a loose sheet of parchment.

_DEAR HERMIONE,_

_Harry saw some sort of vision. We're not quite sure what. He said that my dad has been hurt badly and my brothers, Ginny, and I have gone back to the Burrow with Harry. I don't think you'll be allowed to come, but I didn't want to leave you without letting you know why._

_See You Soon,_

_Ron_

"Hurt?" Addie asked timidly. "Their dad has been hurt?"

"Apparently" Hermione answered softly, skimming the note again, "We should go to Dumbledore I want to know wha—"

_Hem Hem_

Umbridge's cough was startling in the girl's dormitory.

"Addie White?" She asked. Addie tumbled out of bed.

"Yes?" Addie ran her fingers through her hair. "Are you even allowed in here?"

Umbridge's eyes narrowed, "As the High Inquisitor I am allowed wherever I please, and I'll have you know Miss White that you are on very thing i—"

"MY BABY!"

Addie's heart stopped. She hadn't heard the voice in months.

"Oh no…" Addie muttered. Her mother had come to collect her.

"Now Mrs. White I must insist that you—"

"Step out of my way Dolores I am not in a good mood!" Sherri White pushed past Umbridge and the room seemed smaller in her stifling presence. She looked as beautiful as ever. Her long hair was draped behind her, and she balanced herself on the tallest heels imaginable. Lavender and Parvati nearly doubled over with shock and began to frantically fix themselves in mirror in hopes that Sherri White would look their way.

"Addie!" Sherri ran toward her daughter, her heels clicking against the hard stone floor. "My darling I haven't seen you in so long!"

"Hi mum." Addie muttered. "Why are you here?"

"Well obviously," She cried, "I sent a letter to you two weeks ago that I would be coming to collect you today!"

"Wha—"

Her mother winked at her and suddenly Addie understod, "Oh yes…_that_ letter…"

"Ah yes," my mother wiped a fake tear from her eye, "My dear Uncle Albert…stricken down by a muggle car…we barely knew him…"

The White's had an affinity for fabricating deceased acquaintances.

"Your Uncle Albert?" Umbridge asked skeptically. "Now see here I cannot have children just leaving whenever they please—"

"WHENEVER THEY PLEASE!" Addie's mother cried, "Do you think I wanted Dear Uncle Albert to pass away? Do you think that I wanted him to have to be splattered all over some unfortunate muggles windshield? Now Dolores, I donate money to the Ministry I have always been extremely supportive of your actions, now I'm asking you to be supportive of mine and get out of my way."

Addie stifled her laughter and Umbridge clucked disapprovingly in the background, unable to stop Sherri, but unable to drag herself away from the scene with dignity.

The professor looked utterly distressed. Her short, graying hair was sticking out at odd angles as if she had been trying to pull it all out. Her hands were balled into fists on her hips as she stood in the doorway wearing the same pink sweater as always, no trace of a smile on her round, red, face. She looked as though the stress of the night before was weighing on her. Addie suspected that she found out about Harry's disappearance only moments too late.

"Addie," Her mother instructed, "Pack you're things. I'm taking you home."

As Addie threw her things back into her pink trunk, she developed a new appreciation for the hurricane that was Sherri White.

Sherri insisted on leaving through the Great Hall, citing that she "hadn't seen it in quite some time," but Addie knew better. Sherri couldn't resist the prospect of being adored by hundreds of Hogwarts students as she paraded her beauty through the Great Hall, with her equally beautiful daughter at her side.

The spectacle was exactly what Sherri had wanted. The Hall was filled for breakfast, and as soon as the pair entered through the tall doors a frenzy began. Colin Creevy insisted on snapping a photograph, while others pointed and smiled as they walked by. Addie's pink trunk hovered only a few feet behind her, and she wished that it would hurry up so that the embarrassment over her mother's behavior could subside. Sherri took her time, walking alongside the trunk, smiling at Hufflepuff boys and waving at Gryffindor girls. By the time they reached the exit, Addie could not have been happier to think that she was going home.

The carriage ride back to London was long, and Addie's mother went through the usual topics, "So how is school?" "Do you like your teachers?" "Have you made any friends?" "Wasn't Umbridge's sweater disgusting?", etc…

"I heard you saw cousin Diana in Hogsmeade." Sherri said after a long silence.

"Yeah, I did. My friends were really excited to meet her." Addie said as she peered out the window.

"Oh!" Sherri startled, "That reminds me! Diana knew you were coming back for Christmas break so she gave me two free tickets to one of their concerts, for you and a friend."

"Really?" Addie asked, perking up, "But who to bring…."

"Well I heard you're friends with that nice Harry Potter." Her mother smiled. "You should take him, he needs some cheering up these days."

"Yeah…" Addie murmured, "I'm friends with that nice Harry Potter."

xxx

The carriage stopped, to Addie's surprise, not at the lavish White estate that Addie called home, but in front of a dingy muggle apartment complex.

"Mum?" Addie said, looking around, "There's nothing here."

"Oh not yet dear…" She laughed rustling through her purse, "Not yet…"

She pulled out a piece of paper and read, "The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is located at Number Twelve Grimmuald Place."

Suddenly, there was something there. Addie was shocked to see a lavish home appear before her very eyes. Muggles passed by without a second glance, while Addie stood, fixated on the spot where only moments ago nothing had been.

"Secret Keeper." Her mother nodded, "Let's go."

She took a deep breath and let herself into the apartment building. Addie stumbled into the apartment and was immediately faced with Harry, Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny all sitting round a large wooden table. George sat up quickly and rushed to greet Addie as she came in, while the others stared at her with varying degrees of shock.

"What are you doing here?" George asked happily.

"Well I brought her here, of course!" Addie's mother answered in her place. "I hear Arthur Weasley's been attacked in the night and Harry and the rest of you lot have been let out of school do you think I'm going to let my Addie stay with that horrid Professor Umbridge?"

"And where is Molly?" Sherri asked. "It's been much too long…"

"She's at the hospital." Harry said. "With…"

"Harry!" She cried, as if only realizing he was there. "My god! You look just like your father!"

Harry smiled weakly as he said, "I've been told."

"But you have Lily's eyes." She smiled. "Lily had beautiful eyes...well in general Lily was a beautiful person. My best friend you know?"

"Yeah, Addie told me." His smile widened a bit more.

"You're much too skinny." Sherri pointed out as she looked Harry up and down. "James was always skinny too. It bothered me back in the 70's and it's going to bother me now. Have you eaten?"

"Err..." Harry stammered uncomfortably, fumbling under Sherri's intimidating presence, "No…"

"Well then I'll just whip you up some breakfast"

Sherri shuffled out of the room toward the kitchen without another word, and Addie sighed loudly before joining her friends at the table.

"So…" Harry began, "That was your mother."

"It certainly was." Addie sighed, "That was her in full force."

"She really jus took you out of school?" Ginny asked. "Umbridge must have been in a right state."

"Oh she was!" Sherri called from the kitchen, picking up her old habit of answering questions for Addie. "You should have seen her. Storming after me when I demanded I take Addie home at once. But I told her, I did, I told her that I was big contributor to the Ministry and to move out of my way."

"Then what happened?" Fred asked.

"Well," Sherri laughed, "She moved."

"That's bloody brilliant." George said in awe. "You're my hero."

Addie shot a dark look at George. She was being upstaged by her mother in front of the one person she had thought wouldn't have cared.

"Personally," Her mother smiled, "I think I should be everyone's hero."

"I agree." A gruff voice said from the entrance of the room.

Sirius Black was leaned up against the doorway, head cocked to one side grinning brightly at Sherri White.

"My, my, my," He smiled, "Sherri White you haven't changed a bit."

"I can unfortunately say the same for you." She replied coldly.

"Aw and what's that supposed to mean?" He chuckled walking closer.

"You know damn well what it's supposed to mean!" She shoved Fred's plate unceremoniously down the table.

"Fifteen YEARS Sirius Black!" She cried. "Fifteen YEARS without so much as a God damn letter to hold me over!"

"You know where I was…" He snarled, "I couldn't write!"

"I do believe you escaped." She snarled back. "About two years ago? Or did your stay in Azkaban strip you of your ability to put pen to paper?"

"And what was I supposed to say?" He yelled. "Hey Sher. Remember me? Your old boyfriend? Well, I escaped from Azkaban and I just wanted to let you know I wasn't the one behind killing your best friend and her husband. It was Peter Pettigrew. How has your life been?"

Addie's mother shot him a firey glance, "Do you think that Albus didn't tell me you were innocent once he found out. _He_ assumed that I would be the first one you would contact, but apparently that was not the case."

The table felt silent. Everyone watched in awe as Sirius Black and Sherri White had their first fight in fifteen years, and it was as explosive as any of the ones they'd had when they were dating. Addie had watched her mother fight with boyfriends before, but it was usually one sided, and ended in her mother being bought an expensive gift. Addie watched silently as she realized that, for the first time, she was watching an argument in which her mother was evenly matched. The rest of the table hung on their every word, delighted to watch such an explosive fight after such a trying day. Ginny was hovering in the kitchen close by and Fred kept missing his mouth with his fork.

"I couldn't write." Sirius raged on. "I would have written you if I could have."

"You wrote Harry!" She cried. "You wrote Lupin! You've written Dumbledore and Mundungus!"

"That was different! That was business…"

"WELL THAT'S YOUR DAUGHTER!" My mother screeched shoving a manicured finger in Addie's face.

It took a moment for Addie to understand. The attention of the table had turned to her as she slowly shifted the food on her plate with her fork. When the reality of what her mother had said sunk in, she felt an immediate sickness. Her eyes darted to her plate and she hoped that perhaps her mother would take it back. She hoped that her mother had told a lie in a fit of rage and would admit to the crowd that it wasn't true. She hoped that her mother hadn't embarrassed her in that way.

When Addie finally looked up Sirius was staring at her. She knew there was one way to tell if Sherri's revelation had been true, but she didn't dare look. His once handsome face had been creased with age and worn with the horrors of Azkaban. His hair was matted and his complexion had a vague yellow tinge. His eyes were gaunt, but inside the sockets were a pair of round, grey eyes. Addie knew it was true. Addie had studied those eyes. Addie had looked for those eyes on every boyfriend her mother had ever brought home, but she had never thought to look for them in Sirius Black.

Addie attempted to remain emotionless. She tried, with difficultly, not to let her face give away what was going on inside. She refused to allow her mother to do this here. She refused to allow Harry and the Weasleys to see her at her lowest point.

George took her hand from under the table and gave it a small squeeze. She looked up into his dark hazel eyes. He had his own father to worry about, yet he somehow found the time to worry about hers. She allowed him a small smile.

Fred had given up on trying to eat his breakfast and was now shifting his gaze from Sherri to Sirius to Addie. Ginny was in a general state of shock as she surveyed the entire scene from the kitchen, and Ron's expression was entirely blank. But it was Harry's that caught Addie off guard.

He was staring directly at Addie with utter hatred in his eyes. It was startling to see. Addie had to take a second look to make sure that the hatred that was so evident in Harry's demeanor was directed at her. Addie's muscles tensed, but she tried to remain calm. If she could only endure this for a few more minutes, she could go to the sanctity of an empty room to deal with it on her own.

When the room finally realized that Addie was choosing not to respond, Sherri continued.

"I waited for you!" She cried, allowing tears to ruin her mascara. "And you never wrote! You could have told Lupin to give me a message! You could have told Dumbledore! But you chose to leave me and your child out of your life forever!"

"I didn't know…" He muttered, "Really…I didn't know you were…you never told me that you were going to have…"

"No one knew." She responded quietly. "The only person I told was Lily. I was going to tell you later that night but…"

"But then you found out that I was a murderer?" Sirius spat. "What the hell was I supposed to do Sherri? Come strolling up to your door after thirteen years of you thinking I killed your best friend? After thirteen years of you hating me beyond recognition? What the hell was I supposed to do?"

"I never thought you were a murderer…" She mumbled, "I always knew you were innocent. I just couldn't prove it…"

"Y—you didn't think I murdered them?" He asked.

"Of course not!" She cried. "You are a lot of things, Sirius Black, but a murderer isn't one of them!"

A silence filled the room as Sherri and Sirius stared at each other with a newfound softness. Sherri's deep blue eyes were shining as a slight smile drew across her face. Her features were so dramatically similar to her daughter's that no one seemed to notice the subtle differences. Addie, of course, had spent ages obsessing over her eyes, only to find that they were generally overlooked.

If anything was said it would be, "Pity she didn't get the eyes, you have such beautiful eyes Sherri."

The door to the room flung open and the softness of the moment was replaced with awkward silence. A young woman walked in moments later. She had short, purple hair that was sticking out at all angles and a funny, crooked smile. The woman looked familiar to Addie, but she couldn't tell from where.

"Allo Allo!" She greeted smiling at the group, who immediately plastered on fake smiles of their own and waved.

"Nymphadora!" Sherri cried, taking a moment to wipe the mascara off of her face. "I don't believe it!"

They ran toward each other and hugged, "I haven't seen you since the Minister's Christmas party three years ago! how _are_ you?"

Addie suddenly remembered Nymphadora, or as everyone but her mother called her, Tonks, from that very same Christmas party. Addie had been quite young then, and had amused herself by asking Tonks to change her appearance on command.

The man standing behind her could only be described with one word: grizzly. His wild grey hair stuck out at odd angles, and there seemed to be a chunk missing from his large nose. His most astounding feature, though, was his eye. One was sharp and alert while the otherwide and in constant motion separate from the other. This man had to be the famous Mad Eye Moody Addie had read about in _the Daily Prophet_.

"Well," Moody growled, "Get into some muggle clothes we're going on the underground to get to St. Mungo's."

"We're going to St. Mungo's?" Addie asked suddenly.

His magical swiveled around to look at her. Addie shifted under its uncomfortable gaze.

"You're Sherri's kid aren't you?" He asked roughly.

"Among other things." Addie said quietly.

"Sarcasm," He muttered, "you remind me of Black."

The room collectively inhaled.

"You'd be surprised how much Mr. Black and I have in common, sir."

The group dispersed to go change into muggle clothes and meet back in the entrance hall. Addie was told she would be sharing a room with Ginny, and followed her up to the second floor where the room was located. Once that had gotten through the door with Addie's belongings, Ginny turned to lock the door.

"You never know in this house…" She muttered. "With Fred and George apparating all over the place, and that damn house elf…"

"What house elf?" Addie asked as she changed.

"Oh," she giggled, "you haven't met Kreatcher yet have you?"

"No…"

"Well…I'll leave that for you to experience, but I'm just warning you to lock your doors because he comes and goes as he pleases…"

Just as Addie had pulled on a clean shirt she heard a small _pop_ behind her.

"GEORGE!" Ginny screamed, pulling a blanket around her top, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?"

"Damn…" He muttered, "I meant to walk in on Addie…"

"Get out George." Addie pointed to the door. She was not in the mood.

"Fine," he said, "I see where I'm not wanted."

xxx

The ride on the underground was long and boring. The group passed the time in relative silence, and Addie resigned herself to looking out the dirty window. Tonks grilled Harry about his vision and Addie casually inclined her head toward their conversation. His answers were short and thoughtless, and Addie went back to staring out the window.

He, too, fixated his gaze on the dirty window. Addie tried to catch his attention, but he ignored her.

They followed Moody off the train and he led them to an old, abandoned muggle shot. There was a dummy in the window right next to a sign that said 'CLOSED FOR REFURBISHMENT'. None of the muggles seemed to notice the store as they went busily about their day.

Tonks stepped up to the window and spoke to the dummy, "We're here to see Arthur Weasley."

There was a short pause. Addie suspected that Tonks had lost her mind. Suddenly, the dummy nodded and pointed inside, indicating that they should all step through the broken shop window.

"Come on Addie!" George exclaimed, Fred on his other side.

"Wait! What are we—"

George violently linked his arm in hers, pulled her through the glass into the reception room of St. Mungos Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. It was packed with witches and wizards all in varying degrees of distress. They immediately met with Mrs. Weasley who was reading _Witch Weekly _from her seat in the waiting room. Addie saw her mother's blinking face on the cover. It was an old picture, from when she had died her hair a shocking platinum blonde.

_She's not working anymore and they still won't take her off the front cover. _Addie thought.

There were wizards with elephant trunks and pig's tails, and one man whose shoes were eating his feet. Some patients were emitting loud noises (like one woman who seemed to be transforming into a tea kettle). Addie bumped into a man as she had passed through the glass who turned around and made several angry bees before his shoes caught fire and he set off through the roof.

Healers in lime green coats were inspecting some of the patients, and rushing the more serious cases up the stairs. There was an irritated blonde woman sitting behind the front desk whose sole purpose was to direct patients to the appropriate place.

"Next!" She called angrily after the man with killer shoes hobbled up to Spell Damage.

The man in front of them asked to see a friend of his and she pointed him in the right direction, but told him he was wasting his time. The man's friend apparently thought he was a teapot.

The man directly in front of them seemed to be under some sort of spell that prevented him from talking in a normal tone of voice. One minute he would yell, next he would whisper, then his voice would get very high pitched and feminine only to sink into a deep baritone moments later.

"Spell damage" the woman barked, "NEXT!"

Mrs. Weasley walked timidly toward the front desk.

"We need to see Arthur Weasley, he was moved to a different ward this morning so I'm not sure where—"

"First floor, second door to the right, Dai Llewellyn Ward." The witch answered promptly, "NEXT!"

They quickly got out of the way of a man who was covered in large, swelling bites.

Addie followed quickly behind Mrs. Weasley as they bustled through the double doors at down a long corridor. She could hear the voices of angry wizards and witches. Healers rushed passed them talking in hushed voices then veering into nearby rooms. Addie founder herself fascinated by the inner workings of a hospital like St. Mungo's. She was inspired with a new passion to one day become a Healer, and she couldn't help but stand in awe as she watched the people around her who had already achieved that goal.

As they turned down the corridor into the ward where Mr. Weasley was being held, the environment became far less inviting as the sounds switch from light conversation to cries of pain.

A sign read, "Dangerous Dai Llewellyn Ward: Serious Bites." Addie followed as the rest turned the corner and saw a witch being rushed into a room, her arm hanging on by a thread.

Addie winced, "Lovely…."

"I just hope dad isn't like that…" George said quietly.

She took his hand, "Your dad will be fine."

He smiled, "Thanks"

The ward was small and dingy. The floating candles above their heads were the only source of light apart from a small window. The walls were lined with portraits of rather angry looking wizards and witches who each had invented cures for particularly nasty venoms.

There were only three patients in the whole ward, and Mr. Weasley's bed was near the one tiny window. He looked perfectly fine, propped up against a few pillows reading _the Daily Prophet_. He smiled brightly as he saw his family enter the room.

"Ah!" He beamed folding his paper in two. "More visitors! Bill just left, Molly, he said he'll be by to see you a little later."

"How are you dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked kneeling down beside him.

The scene struck Addie as odd. The image of a close family gathered around a father they all cared about with wife kneeling by his side was strange and foreign. Addie and her mother had never really associated with other members of the family, and she would hardly say that they were even close with each other. Addie wondered what it would be like to have a father now. She wondered if, perhaps, she could finally have a family like the Weasleys.

Addie was once again struck by the sudden emergence of her father. She remembered back to when _The Daily Prophet_ was filled with images of Sirius Black in jail. She had been haunted then by his gaunt face and dark eyes and had been frightened of him along with the rest of the wizarding community. She remembered now that her mother had taken a leave from her job at _Witch Weekly_. She took to spending hours inside the house pouring over articles in the _Prophet_ and sending long letters to "old friends." Addie now realized that her mother's fervor had been more than fear over the escape of a known criminal, but that it had been the fervor of love. She now realized that those long letters were to Dumbledore, and that the softness that had developed in her mother's eyes had been pity for a little girl who had never known her father.

Addie had only ever once asked her mother about her father. She had been ten-years-old at the time, and had snuck into her mother's room late at night. She crawled in under the soft blankets and rested her head on her mother's chest.

"What's bothering you, sweety?" Sherri had asked, pulling Addie's hair out of her eyes.

"I want to know who my dad is." Addie said quickly, before she could talk herself out of asking.

Sherri's brow furrowed.

"Please." Addie pleaded.

Sherri reached over to the bedside table and flicked her wand to ignite the lights.

"Addie, darling," She began. "There are reasons I haven't told you who your father is. If you really want to know I will tell you, but I strongly advise you to reconsider. It's for the best that you don't know."

Addie looked up at her mother with her big grey eyes, nodded, and turned back over to sleep.

Addie watched the Weasleys crowd around their wounded patriarch and wondered if Sirius would marry her mother once his name was cleared. It would be cleared eventually. Addie knew that once the war against Voldemort officially began the Ministry would take Dumbledore's testimony that Sirius had been innocent. Addie wondered if they would spend the next Christmas as a family.

She tuned back in as Mr. Weasley explained that the man in the next bed had been bitten by a werewolf. Addie turned slightly to catch a glimpse of him. He was staring angrily at the wall across from his bed, his arms folded across his chest. She had only ever known life, which was one more than most wizards. Remus Lupin had been her mother's friend since they had been at Hogwarts and, on rare occasions, he would attend one of her mother's famous dinner parties. Sherri explained to Addie when she was very small about his condition and it never made a difference.

_It was just like how I didn't have a father._ Addie mused. _It's just a fact of life that he had to deal with in his own way. _

"Sherri, Tonks, and Moody are outside Arthur." Mrs. Weasley told her husband. "They want to meet you."

She turned toward the rest of the group, "You lot wait outside, you'll be able to say goodbye later."

After a few protests from Fred and George they were shoved out the door into the hall.

Fred immediately began to rummage through his pockets.

"Looking for these?" George smiled. Addie looked in his outstretched palm and saw two fleshy lumps attached to a long, rubbery string.

"What, may I ask, are THOSE?" Addie indicated the fleshy lumps.

"Extendable ears." Said Fred proudly, "Want one?"

"What do they do?" Addie asked, gingerly taking one of the lumps out of George's hand.

"They let you hear under the door." George told me, "Look!"

He slipped it onto his ear and Addie watched as it slid under the doorframe.

"Here Harry!" Fred tossed him an ear as well, "You saved dads life you can listen too."

Harry smiled for the first time that day and slipped the extendable ear over his real one. Addie followed suit and slipped the extendable ear under the door. It took a few moments for them to work, but suddenly she could hear Tonks' voice as easily as if she'd been in the room.

"….They never found the snake" She said, "It must have vanished after it bit you."

"I think You-Know-Who sent it as a lookout." Moody snarled. "He's not stupid enough to think the snake would have been able to get in. So…Potter saw it all happen?"

Addie felt Harry flinch next to her.

"Yes." Sherri replied, "Well…it's not a surprise is it? I mean Dumbledore has been waiting for something like this to happen hasn't he?"

"He has…" Mrs. Weasley said uneasily, "Albus seemed very worried about Harry when I talked to him this morning."

"Well we all know there's something fishy about the Potter kid that's for sure." Said Moody's low growl." He's seeing things from inside You-Know-Who's snake."

"I don't think Harry really sees the seriousness of the situation." Sherri whispered.

"If You-Know-Who is possessing him..." Tonks muttered.

Harry pulled his extendable ear out from under the door. His expression was one of mingled anger and fright. The frown on his face had deepened and his eyes were narrowed in thought.

No one mentioned what they'd heard through the extendable ears. They simply left the hospital in relative silence, and made the journey back to Grimmuald Place on the underground. As they entered the house Sirius was cleaning off the table from a late lunch.

Addie looked at him, and he looked back. No longer was he just an ex of my mother. No longer was he Harry's godfather. No longer was he just a friend. He was her father, and that changed everything.


	13. Confrontations

Sirius greeted us all as we walked through the door. Fred, George, and the rest of the Weasley's gathered around the long dining room table. Tonks and Moody had gotten off at the stop before us and didn't join us back to Grimmuald place. I followed the Weasley's into the dark apartment. I tensed a bit as I noticed Sirius eyeing me from the corner of the room. What was I supposed to do? I'd never had a father before. How was I supposed to react to the news? My mother bounced in a few steps behind me sporting a wide smile on her face. She beckoned Sirius to come in the next room for a, "private chat" and I had a feeling they would be gone for quite a long time.

Harry shuffled into the room a good five minutes after the rest of us had all settled around the table. His eyes roamed the floor and he didn't so much as greet us when he walked in the door. His black hair was falling all over his eyes, and he pulled his fingers through it like he usually did when in deep thought. His glasses were falling to the tip of his nose, and his free hand (the one that wasn't in his hair) was shoved into his pants pocket. Nobody said a word as he walked slowly up the large, creaking stairs and slammed the door to his room.

I tried to tell myself that he needed to think about what we had heard with the Extendable Ears, but I couldn't help but think that it had a little to do with the revelation that Sirius Black was my father. The look on his face when we had heard the news was so hard, so angry, I was afraid to go upstairs and ask him what was wrong.

The rest of the table sat in silence for a while. Ron and Ginny thinking about their father being in the hospital. Fred and George pondered what we had heard in their father's ward.

But I? I was thinking about so many more things. I was thinking about Sirius, or dad, or whatever I was supposed to call him these days. I was thinking about the Weasley's and how much I wished I had a tight knit family like theirs. I was thinking about Harry, and how much his sadness seemed to put a damper on my day. I was thinking about Cho Chang, and how her stupid black hair always seemed to shine with unprecedented shimmer. I was thinking about George Weasley, and how he kept trying to take my hand under the table. I was thinking about what we had heard with the Extendable Ears, and if it was possible that Harry was possessed. All of these thoughts swam in my mind as I raced for some sort of answer for the questions that all had risen in the course of two days.

My mother stayed in the next room with Sirius for a long time. I could only imagine what they were talking about. He was telling her how he never knew that he was my father, and about how if he had things would be different. She was sobbing in his shoulder telling him how hard it was for her to wait for him all those years.

I laughed to myself. She didn't wait for him. Unless by waiting you mean dating every man in sight, then yes, she waited.

I had a hard time believing that my mother felt anything beyond lust for Sirius Black, and she was only angry because he hadn't been pining for her over his stay in Azkaban. She probably expected that after he came out he would immediately send her a long letter about how much he loved her and missed her. Personally, I think that once you escape from Azkaban, you're convicted of murder, and if you've almost had your soul sucked out by a Dementor, that you would have a lot more important things to do than write your ex-girlfriend.

"So…"George began slowly, "Your dad…."

"Is Sirius Black," I laughed, "I'm aware."

"How can you laugh about that?" Ginny asked quietly. "He's your father! Doesn't that make a difference?"

"I've lived my whole life not knowing who my father was." I told her. "Now I know. What's that supposed to change? Am I gonna have a nice happy family like you now? Lemme tell you what's gonna happen now. My mother will date Sirius for a while, maybe, then she'll get bored and leave him for some stupid Quiddtich player or rich something-or-other. Nothing is going to change. I can't tell people about my dad anyway because he's a friggin' convict! So what's different? What am I supposed to do?"

I hadn't realized I had stood up. The whole room was staring at me as I breathed heavily. My hands were balled into fists at my side, as I stared at the rest of the table. I realized they had never seen me truly upset before in my life. I did such a good job of keeping my emotions inside. Tonight I slipped up, I forgot myself, and I forgot that nobody really cared.

And why should they care? Why would anyone care about the poor little models daughter with the perfect face, and the perfect friends, and the perfect everything? "Oh no poor little rich girl finally found out who her daddy is." They would laugh after I left, "Maybe her mom will buy her something to make her feel better." Anger rose in my chest, as I tried to keep myself calm.

"Addie…" Ron began, "Addie, don't be upset…please…we understand…"

"You understand do you, Weasley?" I asked angrily. "I'm sure you understand all about living without ANYONE by your side for fifteen years. I'm sure you understand all about never knowing who your father was and then realizing that he's been right in front of your face YOUR WHOLE LIFE. I'm sure you understand about having a mother who never once gave a God damn about anything but herself. She didn't even tell ME Sirius was my father. She just shouted it at him for effect. I'M SURE YOU UNDERSTAND ALL ABOUT IT!"

My face was growing red and I could feel hot tears streaming down my face. George tried to take my hand but I pulled it away, "I don't need anyone's sympathy."

I turned to leave my room when I saw my mother and Sirius standing in the doorway. I took a deep breath and tore right through them. My mother didn't even try to stop me. I stormed up the stairs and ran into a house elf.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked, wiping the tears away from my eyes.

"Blood traitor wants to know who I am…." The elf muttered, "Kreatcher wants to know the same thing…."

"Are you trying to be funny?" I asked. "I can hear everything you're saying. What's wrong with you?"

"The blood traitor is angry…" The elf sneered, "She takes out her anger on Kreatcher, just like Master Sirius…"

"Who is Kreatcher?" I asked exasperatedly, "And WHO are you?"

The elf just looked at me and shuffled away. I watched him as he hobbled down the steps and touched a cloth on the wall. He continued to mutter to himself as he made his way into the dining room where I was sure of three things: my mother was crying, the Weasley's were confused, and all hell was about to break loose.

I made my way back to my dingy bedroom and I was just about to slam the door when—"Don't slam that."

Harry was standing in his doorway. He talked quietly, and looked at me quizzically when I turned around.

"What Potter?" I spat. "I'm not in the mood for you to analyze me today."

"I was just going to tell you not to slam the door—it wakes up Sirius's mother."

"Oh great…" I muttered, "I have a grandmother now."

"No," He shook his head, "It's the painting."

He made a gesture to the toward the wall, "Sirius covered it up, but it wont come off the wall. If you make too loud of noises she wakes up and screeches horribly through the whole house."

"It's good to know…" I murmured.

"Yeah well—" Harry turned back to go into his room.

"Wait," I called, "You just kind of left us all down there."

"Yeah well…I had some stuff to think about." Harry responded coldly.

"You wanna talk about it?" I asked awkwardly

"No" he replied shortly, "no I don't."

"You know what your problem is Potter?" I spat, "You think you're the only person in this world with any problems. Nothing else matters to you. Everything you've ever done has only been about you. You never think about how anyone else feels or how anyone else is gonna be affected by the stuff you do. Your stupid infatuation with yourself is gonna get you hurt one day Harry, either that or it will hurt someone else. And then there will be nobody to blame for it but you."

"OH REALLY?" He yelled, "WELL DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR PROBLEM IS?"

"No, what?" I retorted, "I'm dying to hear what the Oh-So-Famous Oh-So-Misunderstood Oh-So-Brave Harry Potter thinks of me!"

"Your problem is you can't stand rejection. You say I'm full of myself? I've never met anyone in my LIFE more conceited than you. You live in a world that's falling apart and all you care about is how your hair looks that day! You sit around and act like you know everything! You don't, in fact, you don't know ANYTHING. You don't know what real pain is, or what its like to see a friend hurt. You don't know what it's like to one day have a father figure and the next day find out that he has a daughter. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT'S LIKE DO YOU? Perfect Addie White, with her perfect face, and her perfect body, and her perfect personality, and perfect grades, PERFECT LIFE."

"NO I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE A FATHER FIGURE!" I screamed, "I'VE NEVER HAD ANYTHING CLOSE TO A FATHER IN MY WHOLE LIFE! YOU'RE LUCKY TO HAVE HAD SOMEONE."

"MY PARENTS ARE DEAD!" Harry roared at me. "YOURS ARE STANDING DOWNSTAIRS."

"MY FATHER DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HIS DAUGHTER EXISTED UNTIL A FEW HOURS AGO, AND MY MOTHER LET ME GO MONTHS WITHOUT TELLING ME THE MAN I WAS TALKING TO IN THE FIRE EVERY MONTH WAS ACTUALLY MY FATHER."

I didn't give Harry any time to respond, I just stormed into my room and slammed the door as loudly as I could. I could hear the painting down the hall screeching, "BLOOD TRAITORS! BLOOD TRAITORS ALL OF YOU!" As footsteps came up the hall and Sirius's gruff voice could be heard telling the painting, "SHUT UP YOU WRETCH OF A WOMAN." I laid down on my bed and looked up at the dusty ceiling. Soon someone would be coming into my room, trying to talk to me about what had happened downstairs, and with Harry. I had no intention of answering any questions.

Harry had confirmed everything I had thought before. People assumed that my life was perfect. That nothing could possibly be wrong with me. Harry had said it himself, my perfect face, body, personality, friends, and supposedly life. He had also said I was conceited. I rolled over in my bed, and my stomach squirmed as I wiped hot tears out of my eyes.

"I am not conceited." I muttered. "He had no right to say that."

The worst part of the whole situation was that I had yelled at Harry Potter. Of all people, I had yelled at Harry. Not anyone who would easily forgive me, but Harry, who most defiantly would hold the grudge. Harry, who I had been trying to get to love me since the first week of school, Harry, the only boy in the whole damn school who could care less if I hated or loved him.

I angrily punched the pillow on my bed envisioning no one in particular, but venting all of my frustrations.

"I hope you're not thinking about me." A deep voice said from the doorway.

I turned around. My father, Sirius Black, was slowly closing the door behind him.

"I thought I locked that…" I muttered frantically wiping the tears from my face so he wouldn't know I was crying.

"I guess we should talk…" He began awkwardly, "about…well… I suppose you know…"

"Your little accident?" I asked maliciously. "I mean I always knew I was an accident, but I'm your accident now. And that makes it so much more special for me."

"It's not like that…" He pleaded sitting next to me on the bed.

"Oh really?" I snorted. "So you and my mother weren't just having sex and the condom broke? Or you forgot the condom all together? You were really trying to have a baby, were you?"

My eyes narrowed, "I've known I was an accident my whole life. Don't try to convince me otherwise."

To my surprise Sirius laughed, "You do have something of mine."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"My stubborn-ness and my pure lack of courtesy for anyone trying to help."

"You wanna talk to someone about lack of courtesy to people trying to help them go two doors down and talk to your boy Harry." I muttered. "If anyone needs manners its Harry…"

"Harry's been through a lot." Sirius responded harshly.

"Oh so that means he's allowed to be a jerk and nobody can say anything about it? Does that mean he can just walk all over everyone in this whole world and nobody's going to say anything because he's Harry Potter? Somebody has to!"

"I think…" Sirius laughed again, "That's your job."

"I'd rather not be Harry Potter's babysitter thanks…."

"Look I'm not here to talk about Harry." Sirius said. "I'm here to talk about well…what's going to happen next….and your mother thinks I should tell you."

"Oh what a pity." I sighed sarcastically. "She's so good at telling me things."

"Your sarcasm is not appreciated." He said seriously, "We have to talk about this."

"Alright _dad_," I sneered, "Let's talk. Let's talk about how you screwed my mom, then nine months later she got pregnant and you never thought you might be the father. Let's talk about how my mom never cared to mention that the guy I was having those great fireside chats with just happened to be the dad I waited for my whole life. Let's talk about how my mom still keeps pictures of you under her pillow, and she doesn't know I know. "

"Let's talk about how when you escaped my mom was so irritable that it made my house unbearable. Let's talk about how all I cared about this year was being friends with Harry God Damn Potter and now I just lost everything I worked for. Let's talk about how Draco Malfoy tries to hex me in the hall and the only thing I was ever good at, Quidditch, got taken away from me because he's an ass. Let's talk about how George Weasley keeps hitting on me and I have no idea how I want to respond. Let's talk about it _dad_, let's talk…."

He stared at me for a long time. The dark eyes that I now knew were his gift to me were looking directly at me, but thinking far past my face. He had looked at me so many times, normally to comment on how much I looked like my mother, but he had never looked at me like that.

He actually looked sorry for me, genuinely sorry for me. I had never had anyone look at me that way. And after what Harry had just said. I needed it. I felt a shiver go down my spine. He looked at me the way all those fathers looked at their daughters when I went to Diagon Alley, or the way that Mr. Weasley looked at each on of his children as they entered the room to see him.

I had always thought I never cared about not having a father. Whenever I started to think about the other kids with their fathers at the park, I just pushed it out of my mind. My father obviously didn't need me, and I didn't want him. Now, I didn't know. Suddenly my father was sitting next to me on my bed, and I was pouring my heart out to him. Suddenly my father, instead of being absent from my life, was the only one who cared to listen to anything that I said.

"You were wrong you know." I said softly. "I have a lot more of you in me than your stubborn-ness."

He looked at me funnily, "Well…I've heard you like to get in your own bit of trouble…but then again your mother wasn't exactly Mary Sunshine…"

"I have your eyes." I told him promptly. "And we have the same hands."

He looked up at me, and I looked at him. His smile widened as he looked down and compared our hands, then looked at my eyes again. I felt my mouth curving upwards despite trying to keep it down. We sat in silence for a moment. Both of us thinking about what the hell we were going to do next. He shuffled his feet awkwardly on the floor and I leaned back on the bed.

"I'm not very good at this whole….being a father thing…." Sirius said finally.

"Well," I laughed, "I'm not very good at this whole, having a father thing."

And then I laughed with my father. For the very first time in my life, I laughed with my father.

xxx

Hermione arrived early the next morning to everyone's surprise. We spent the rest of the day trimming the large Christmas tree Mundungus had "bought" and Sirius could be heard humming Christmas carols all throughout the house.

I also found out that 'Kreatcher' was, in fact, the elf talking about himself in the third person over breakfast that morning.

"Okay," I began, gulping down my orange juice, "What the hell is wrong with the house elf?"

Hermione sent me a reproachful look, "There is nothing wrong with him, he's just—"

"Just a complete nutter." Ron interrupted, "Completely bonkers that one is…."

"Ron!" Hermione protested, "Kreatcher is not a nutter!"

"Oh come off it Hermione!" George laughed. "Kreatcher's as sane as Fred and I are young and innocent."

At that moment, the elf hobbled into the dining room.

"Speak of the devil…" I muttered.

The elf began to crawl under the couch muttering frantically under his breath.

"HOW ARE YOU TODAY KREATCHER?" I asked loudly.

He jumped out from under the couch and looked around the room as though he only just noticed we were there. He readjusted the cloth that he had tied across his waist and began his frantic muttering again.

"The mudblood has arrived…oh how the Mistress would cry…oh defiling the house of my Mistress…how dare the mudblood come into the home of my Mistress…."

"HOW…ARE…YOU…KREATCHER…?" I asked loudly again.

"Oh," The elf sneered, "Kreatcher is fine mistress."

"Don't call me mistress" I told him. "It's weird."

"KREATCHER!" Sirius Black bounded down the stairs into the dining room, "DID YOU TRY AND STEAL BACK MY DADS OLD PENS?"

"There is the boy…he knows what Kreatcher has been doing…but he will never get back the pens…my masters pens…"

"KREATCHER!" He roared. "GET OUT OF MY SIGHT UNTIL YOU BRING BACK THOSE PENS!"

Muttering in dark undertones, Kreatcher shuffled into the library.

We all watched him as he left, Sirius stalking out close behind then burst out into laughter (all except Hermione of course) then continued with our Christmas Eve breakfast. Harry kept up a stony silence ever since the night before, but I refused to let it get me down. He kept his eyes affixed to the table and rather than eating just shifted his food in his plate.

"So Hermione," George said between bites, "How'd you get here anyway?"

"I took the night bus" she informed us, "I had to wait until end of term before I could come because Umbridge was already livid about you leaving and then the stunning performance by Addie's mother…."

"So anyway," she turned to Harry, "How have you been?"

"Fine" he told her, "just fine…"

"Oh don't lie to me Harry." Hermione chortled, "I know all about everything Ron and Ginny told me."

"Oh well that's just fabulous. And I'm sure Addie's told you all about our argument last night."

"Actually," I responded coldly, "I never said a damn thing to anyone, but thanks for the accusation Potter."

"You didn't say anything?" He asked skeptically. "Sorry then…"

"You should be!" I responded.

"Oh why don't you just go tell your _dad_ all about it? I saw him going into your room the other night, not that he bothered to come in to see me…"

"My God does it _always _have to be about you Potter?"

"Oh so sorry for raining on Little Addie Sunshine's parade of Sparkles…"

"Oh so sorry for not being a sulky self serving BASTARD!"

Harry and I were both standing up, glaring at each other from across the table. Ron was trying to pull Harry back to his seat, while George was attempting the same with me. The first time we had looked at each other since the fight and I wasn't sure who had more contempt for the other. I was really beginning to loathe Harry, not just for the stunt he pulled with Cho, not just for our almost-romantic-encounter, not just for insulting me, but for the fact that I didn't want to hate him at all.

"Will you two STOP?" Hermione commanded. "Harry stop being a prat, Addie didn't ask for Sirius to be her father, and Addie stop undermining Harry's feelings."

I opened my mouth to stop her but George held up his hand, "Just let it go Adds…"

He called me Adds. Malfoy had been the only person to ever cal me by my nickname before that moment. It was calming to hear it. I looked over at George who casually slipped his arm around my waist. Normally I would have moved away at this blatant advance, but for some reason, I didn't this time.

"Harry," Hermione began again, "You need to talk about this."

"Oh well apparently everyone else has been doing the talking for me. Don't worry I'm used to it by now." Harry sulked.

"Addie's right Harry stop feeling all misunderstood." Hermione said sharply.

"We wanted to talk to you Harry, but since you were running away…" Ginny said angrily.

"Oh well I suppose you all could give lots of valuable insight into the world of being possessed by Voldemort."

"Considering I'm the only person who you know that's BEEN possessed by Voldemort I do believe that I can." Ginny retorted.

"Ohhh" George Weasley hissed.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Well Harry," George smirked, "I think you just got served."

"I just got WHAT?" Harry asked, his first smile in a long time twitching at the ends of his thin lips.

"Served," George repeated, "I saw it on a Muggle poster once…"

"_HEM HEM_" Ginny coughed, "back to being possessed."

"H—how can I tell?" Harry stammered, still embarrassed.

"Can you remember everything? Or are there big blank spots?"

Harry thought for a moment, "No…no I can remember everything."

"Then You-Know-Who has never possessed you." Ginny said simply.

After that enlightening revelation Harry was completely content. He hummed along with Sirius as he put up Christmas decorations and approached me later that night.

I was walking back up to my room, thoroughly exhausted from helping Fred and George clean the apartment. I had been bitten by several creatures I've never even heard of and it seemed that the twins found it endlessly amusing to trick me into turning around and then blow dust in my face.

I dragged my feet up the stairs my mind already half asleep when I heard Harry's door creak open. I would have been accurate to say that I was less than ecstatic to see him peering at me through the crack in his door.

Though we had fought so terribly the night before and that morning, I still couldn't completely abandon my feelings for him. He had those attractive green eyes and I loved the way his hair stuck up in the back. As much as I hated the way that he sulked around the apartment, I loved the way he always looked so deep in thought. He would frequently get that look in his eye and I knew that though he was in the room with us his mind was in a place much farther away.

My heart broke all over again every time he averted my gaze, and every time he looked past me instead of at me. I hated the way that we would be in the same room but act like the other wasn't there. I hated the way our friends didn't talk about one with the other, and I hated what it was doing to Sirius. He was just trying to have a nice Christmas but he couldn't make out how to act around us. I noticed that if he was talking to me he would get eerily silent if Harry walked in the room and visa versa.

I was so sick of thinking of it and all that I wanted to do was lie down on my bed, sink my head into my pillow, and go to sleep.

Harry opened the door all the way, then quietly shut it behind him. He was so handsome. I couldn't help but think it. The worst for me was that I knew he didn't feel the same. I went to bed wracking my brain for ways of getting him to like me again, while he drifted into sweet dreams of him and Cho Chang under the mistletoe.

"Addie?" He whispered. "Addie, can I talk to you?"

"I suppose…" I said suspiciously.

"Look…" He began, "neither of us are ever going to admit to being wrong here."

"Damn straight." I said.

"But…I think…we can just…well…you know…nobody wants us fighting and it makes everyone uncomfortable…and…"

"Are you trying to call a truce, Potter?" I smiled.

"Yeah", he sighed, his tugging at the collar of his shirt, "Yeah, I'm trying to call a truce."

"I can live with that." I agreed.

"Alright…well…I'm tired so…"

I stuck out my hand, "It's not a truce unless you shake on it."

He laughed and shook his head, "You're a strange person."

"Shake on it Potter." I demanded. "If you don't shake on it then its not a proper truce."

He held out his hand and shook mine, "Truce?"

"Truce"

"Well," I yawned, "Goodnight, Mr. Misunderstood."

He laughed, "Goodnight, Addie Sunshine."

xxx

Christmas was one of the most interesting I have ever had. Sirius had really cleaned up Grimmuald place. Instead of the dingy old apartment, it was now a warm comfortable place for us all to get together and spend our Christmas. My mother was there, of course. Then there were Fred and George who had set up 'prank presents' under the tree that would re-wrap themselves or bite you when you tried to take off the bow. Hermione got me a homework planner, and I had to force a smile as I told her, "Wow thanks, I love it." Ginny had given me a bag of Honeydukes chocolate, and seemed thoroughly pleased with the _Seeker's Secrets_ book I had bought her. For Hermione I had gotten a book entitled _Strong Witches of the Twentieth Century_ which she began to read immediately, and a hair straightener. For some reason, she found the book more appealing.

Ron, blushing furiously, had handed me an enchanted chocolate Teddy bear. This was cute until my mother voiced her desire to eat its left ear which prompted the bear to take all the presents its little hands could grab and made a run for the door. We had a fun time trying to catch it, and I split it evenly with everyone in the room.

Fred Weasley had given me a free pack of Skiving Snackboxes which I thought would be dreadfully useful now that Umbridge's hate for me had grown. George handed me a present carefully from under the tree. It was wrapped in shimmering pink wrapping paper and a white bow was tied carefully across the top.

"It wont bite I promise." He whispered.

I unwrapped the paper, and opened the little box inside. It was a necklace. A silver necklace with a silver heart turned on its side. The word 'Hope' was inscribed in the heart and I looked up at George.

"Read the card." He beckoned.

I opened up the card. It had stars on the front that were enchanted to sparkle just like they would have had they been real. The full moon was shining in the top left corner and on the bottom a boy was sitting with his arm around a girl. I opened it up.

_DEAR ADDIE, _

_I give you this necklace in hope that one day, you'll realize who really loves you. _

_Forever Yours, _

_George Weasley _

I looked up at him. His hazel eyes were shining as he watched me read the card. He had taken such care in getting for me. I fastened the necklace around my neck. He was smiling. Not the malicious grin that spread across his face every time he was planning a prank, but a genuine smile, that could only come out of love.

My stomach squirmed. I didn't know how to answer him. He was obviously making reference to my feelings for Harry, and he was obviously trying very hard to win me over, and as much as I would have loved to be won over. I just wasn't feeling that way about George. There was definitely a spark, a spark of something that could be love. I didn't really know, but right at that moment. That spark grew into a flame.

"George…" I began.

"No," he stopped me, "It's okay, you don't have to say anything. Just think about it alright?"

"Alright" I smiled.

He stood up, "Well I have to go…"

"So soon?" I asked.

"You know I'd love to stay but I gave Fred underwear that bites and I'm going to go have him try it on."

I laid down on my bed trying to figure you exactly what I was going to do about George Weasley. When at exactly the wrong moment, Harry walked into my room.

"I came to give you your Christmas present…" He said.

"Oh!" I sat up on my bed; I could feel mye smile spreading from ear to ear, "Harry you didn't have to get me anything."

He tugged on his collar, "I just—well—here"

He threw a small heavy box over in my direction.

I carefully peeled off the green wrapping paper. It was a little jewelry box. The cover of it had a depiction of Snow White and the seven dwarfs. I opened it up and a soft tune started to play.

Harry tugged at his collar again, "It—It's supposed to be like...Snow White's mirror…you know…mirror mirror…"

"On the wall." I continued. "Whose the fairest of them all?"

"Well…you can ask it stuff…and…it'll answer truthfully…" He said.

"Harry" I watched as the Snow White danced across the inside of the box, "It's….amazing…."

"We—well I wanted t—to tell you that y—you're a good friend to me and—well—that's it."

I smiled, "Let me get you your gift."

I went under my bed and pulled out a small box. My mother had given it to me the night before, telling me to give it to Harry for Christmas. It was a golden bracelet with "Prongs" carved into it. My mother told me that she had found it at the ruin of his father's house and that James had used it for good luck. I hadn't had time to wrap it but I handed it gently over to Harry.

"It was your dads…" I whispered, "My mom said it gave him good luck."

"T—this was my d—dad's bracelet?" He asked staring at it.

"Yeah" I smiled, "And I'm kind of thinking, if anyone in this world needs good luck right about now….it's Harry Potter…."

"Thanks Addie…" He smiled. His green eyes sparkled as he looked at me and my knees felt as though they were going to give way.

"HARRY!" Mrs. Weasley called from down the stairs. "HARRY WE'RE LEAVING."

"I have to go…" He said turning around to look out the door, "We're visiting with Mr. Weasley."

"Ah…" I said, "Well I have to go to. I have a date with my grandmother and the rest of the pureblood community."

"Well…."

"Well…."

"See you"

"See you"

I watched Harry Potter walk out of my room. Fresh off another almost-romantic- encounter and threw myself on my bed.


	14. A Christmas Party

My grandmother, Charlotte White, or Grand Ma Ma as I was to call her, was a force to be reckoned with. Her once, long, brown hair had turned grey with age, and she pulled it back in a tight bun. She seemed to think the tighter her bun, the less her wrinkles would show. I doubt she had ever done a day of work in all of her life. Even after my grandfather had passed away she still had her three (yes three) house elves to make sure she never had to lift her million galleon finger. And by million galleons, I mean, million galleons. The rings she wore on her left hand alone was worth more than most Gringotts Bank accounts. My grandfather had made a fortune doing God knows what, and my Grand Ma Ma was reaping all the benefits.

Social gatherings at her house were probably the most torturous events a witch of fifteen could go through. First you greeted pureblood after pureblood and waited for them to stop telling you how you had the 'same beautiful face as all the White women'. As sickening as it was for me to admit it, it was true. Each generation of White women had the same body, same hair, and the same face, but I prided myself on my one difference. The eyes. The eyes that I now knew were courtesy of Sirius Black. I love knowing something none of these pure blood elitists knew. They strutted around the parties like they ruled the universe and that they had all the knowledge in the world that one could possess.

At dinner you listened to rich snob after rich snob talk about all of the lovely gifts they had received. The people were so fake it almost made me sick. They craftily tried to see who had gotten the best gifts, who had gotten on the most prestigious New Years Eve party lists, and who had gotten the most Christmas cards.

As we approached the door to Grand Ma Ma's house I felt the knot in my stomach growing tighter.

"Now Addie," My mother said, beginning on her pre-party speech, "Be good and try to stay respectful. There are some people in here that you may or may not be excited to see and I don't want you to cause a scene."

I really had no idea what my mother was talking about, but I nodded at the appropriate times and finished off with the obligatory, "I'll be good mother."

She smiled and reached up to take hold of the knocker at the top of the door, before she could even touch it she jumped backwards.

"Name?" It asked.

"S—Sherri W—White and her d—daughter Addie." My mother replied clutching her heart. "My you frightened me."

"Ah yes you're on the list." The knocker droned on. "Enter."

I couldn't help but be impressed with the homes interior. The large marble staircases were lined with wreaths. Everything in the house was decorated for the holiday and a light snow poured from the ceiling. It wasn't cold, and it disappeared just before it touched floor. In the center of the large foyer was the most beautiful Christmas tree I had ever seen. Presents were piled underneath it, and it must have reached all the way up to the ceiling. The star on the top was one of the largest and most extravagant stars I had ever seen. It was perched atop the tree and gave off a soft white glow. It shimmered in the light and it seemed, not to be made of metal, but to actually be a star. It was amazing that the tree could even hold its branches with all of the large glass ornaments she had hung on them. Big, fat, colorful balls weighed it down as long strands of tinsel were covered the trees needles making one wonder whether it was really a tree at all.

I couldn't stand and admire long because as soon as that door opened I was fresh meat for the Christmas sharks.

"Oh Addie _Darling_!" Grand Ma Ma called. "Come and give your Grand Ma Ma a hug."

I turned around, trying to convert the look of utter disgust on my face to one of joy, "Hello Grand Ma Ma."

"Oh _darling,_!" She purred, wrapping her arms around me in embrace, "It's been too long, much too long."

She kissed both of my cheeks and then rushed over to my mother, repeating almost verbatim the greeting she'd just given me.

I turned around to face the masses of people that had all raided my Grand Ma Ma's Christmas soirée. All of them were impeccably dressed and painted up to look their best for the oh-so-prestigious Charlotte White Christmas party. They rushed over to greet me and tell me how beautiful I was. The women followed Grand Ma Ma's example and kissed both of my cheeks while the men kissed my hand.

By the time this disgusting ritual was over I had been kissed more times than a new born baby. I already hated the party five minutes after my arrival, and the festivities showed no signs of waning.

"Fancy seeing you here." A drawling voice said from the corner.

Draco Malfoy was leaning up against the wall, his arms folded across his chest, smirking at me. It took all the power in my body not to knock that stupid smirk right off his stupid face. I clenched my fists at my side. I knew why he was looking so happy. He knew he finally had me. I couldn't do anything to him. I couldn't touch him. Under the watchful eye of his relatives, and mine, I had to be nice.

I clenched my teeth together in my best attempt at a smile. I could feel my left eye twitching like it always did when I was under stress.

"Hello Draco." I said.

"Long time no see Addie." He sneered, walking closer to me. "How have you been?"

"Well," I continued smiling, "I played Quidditch for a while, but then I got kicked off the team. I made really close friends with Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley and…that's about it."

"You've really disappointed me Adds…" He mumbled, "I thought you would stick with your real friends."

"My real friends?" I inquired, fake smile still intact, "You mean the ones who get me kicked off the Quiddtich team? The ones who attack me in the halls? Or the ones who have never done anything to hurt me and who treat me like a real person not just some stupid prize to be won?"

Malfoy's smile vanished, "I never treated you like a prize."

"Oh stuff it Malfoy." I spat, "That's all I ever was to you."

He grew very stiff and his eyes narrowed, "If that's what you want me to believe, then I'm not going to try to convince you otherwise."

I felt anger slowly rising from my stomach. I clenched my fists at my sides. What did he think he was playing at? He was making it seem like I'm the bad guy in this situation. He was the one that attacked me in the halls. He was the one that made fun of my friends. He was the bad guy, not me.

I spun him around, "What do you mean _Malfoy_?"

He sighed, "I know you better than anyone at Hogwarts, and no matter how much you hate to admit that you know it's true, and if I know one thing about Addie Marie White it's that if she doesn't want to believe something, she won't."

"Are you trying to tell me you think I'm stubborn?" I asked indignantly.

"No," Malfoy replied coolly, "I'm flat out telling you that I _know_ you're stubborn."

For the first time in a long time, Draco Malfoy made me laugh, "Fair enough."

We both paused. The room had quickly cleared out and all the adults had gone back to ignoring us the way they always did at these sorts of parties.

"So…" Malfoy said after a while, shuffling his feet nervously, "you and Harry Potter."

I sighed, "Me and Harry Potter…"

"Are you—" He trailed off.

"No," I replied bitterly, "We're not."

"Potter's an idiot if there ever was one." Malfoy scoffed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked angrily. "Harry's not an idiot he just—"

"Isn't attracted to the most drop dead gorgeous girl at Hogwarts….in my book…that makes him an idiot."

My heart gave an involuntary skip. As much as I hated to admit it, I liked when Malfoy called me pretty.

"Well it's not like _you_ haven't dated around." I replied airily. "Your amazing numbers of—what do they call them—'one week wonders' has grown at an alarming rate."

"Is that what you think you are to me?" He asked. "Another one of my one week wonders?"

"I _know_ I'm another one of your one week wonders. The greatest one week wonder of them all. If you could get Addie White on your list of short-term girlfriends you would be the king of Hogwarts."

"That's not how it is Addie." Malfoy pleaded. "If I had Addie White I would be the luckiest boy Hogwarts had ever seen…that is why I think Harry is so idiotic."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well," Malfoy took a confident step forward, "If I were Harry Potter, and I were standing under the mistletoe with someone like you I know what I would do."

I should have backed away. I should have slapped him across his sneering face and run as fast as I could into the dining room. I should have turned around and walked right out of there. I should have kneed him in the crotch, but for some unfathomable reason, I didn't.

It was just me and Draco, like old times. And oh God I missed the old times. I missed not caring about anyone but myself. I missed never feeling alone or rejected. I missed being naïve. I missed everything, and for that one moment I was seven years old again, and Draco was in the guest bedroom of his house telling me 'The Three Little Pigs' but changing the story around so it would make me laugh and I would forget all about my splitting headache.

I was seven again, and I was sitting in Draco's room. I could care less about Harry Potter, George or any of the other Weasleys. I knew nothing of Hermione or the Order. Sirius Black wasn't my father, and my only friend was Draco Malfoy. I was laughing up against his wall when he kissed me that very first time. I had never felt so many emotions serge through my body as Draco leaned in. I wanted to feel like that again.

"What would you do?" I took another step forward.

The next thing I knew…I was kissing Draco Malfoy.

xxx

We arrived back at Grimmuald Place long after the others. They asked me about the party and I told them it was mind numbingly dull. We laughed as I talked about all the ridiculous people that had been there, conveniently leaving out the presence of Draco _or_ mistletoe.

The fact of the matter was I didn't think that anyone needed to know. They had all made it quite clear how they felt about Draco Malfoy and ever since what happened at the last Quidditch games their feelings could have only intensified. I was also fresh off another almost-romantic-encounter with Harry and I didn't want to blow it on a mistake I made under the mistletoe with some stupid boy—not that I was the only person that went off and kissed random people after almost-romantic-encounters—but I sensed this was somehow different, so I kept my tainted mouth shut.

My 'don't ask, don't tell' policy worked pretty well up until later that evening. We were all sitting around a warm fire, listening to the adults tell stories of their youth. Remus Lupin had stopped by and so had Mundungus (to the Mrs. Weasley's dismay) and they lived for telling stories of their past.

My mother laughed harder than I had ever seen her laugh in her life and I noticed a strange connection between her and Sirius. Even though he was telling stories to all of us, his gaze was always on my mother. She would add in bits and pieces and I noticed a certain sparkle in her eye when whatever she said made Sirius laugh.

This all went quite well until Mrs. Weasley asked if anyone of interest was at my grandmother's party.

"The Malfoys were there" my mother sipped her coffee, "Lucius is still as big a scumbag as he ever was, Narcissa couldn't have been more unpleasant, and Draco…well actually…Draco and Addie spent a lot of time together."

All of the younger kids whirled around to look at me, as I tried not to choke on my hot chocolate.

"It was my grandmothers Christmas party." I laughed. "I had to play nice."

Harry eyed me suspiciously, "What did Malfoy say?"

"The usual crap," I replied shortly, "I didn't really pay attention, you know, Malfoy speaks fluent scumbag and I'm not very skilled in the language."

Everyone laughed at this and I let out a sigh of great relief, _Thank God I'm out of that one._

Unfortunately for me, I was not.

We all went up to our bedrooms an hour or so later. Harry and I were the last ones to leave because he had volunteered to put out the fire and I was clearing the mugs of hot chocolate.

"Err…Addie…" He said when he was finished, "Nothing happened between you and Malfoy tonight did it?"

I felt my body tense up, "N—No wh—why do you ask?"

Stuttering, I was stuttering, a sure give-away….

"I mean given your history…"

"What do you mean?" I asked, "That I hook up with every boy that comes on to me?"

"No No No!" Harry cried, "Nothing like that I just thought maybe…"

"I kissed Malfoy under the mistletoe after our almost-romantic-encounter?" The words flew out of my mouth and as soon as they did I wished I could gulp them back up.

"Our…_what_?" Harry asked.

"Nothing…" I turned and walked up the stairs.

The next morning I could catch Harry shooting shy glances at me from across the table. He knew. He knew that I had done more than just 'talk' to Draco Malfoy. He knew I was hiding something, but I'd be damned if I was going to let him find out what.

"Oh Addie!" My mother said happily bustling over to serve everyone the breakfast Sirius had made, "Diana wanted me to give you these."

She pulled out two golden tickets out of her pocket. The word 'Hex' was sparkling across the top.

"They're a Christmas gift from Diana," She smiled, "for you and a friend."

Every teenage boy with one ounce of testosterone would have pounced on the tickets, but I knew there were really only two boys in the running.

George Weasley had been a fan of Hex since their first CD 'Don't Touch Me There' had come out three years earlier. He knew everything about the band and though he never said it directly to me I had the sneaking suspicion that he had more than respect for my cousin. She fronted the band and played the bass and had never failed to deliver a less-than-stellar performance. He would obviously be delighted to go with me (not just because he liked the band) and I knew I would have a good time with him.

On the other hand there was Harry. I could tell he was suspicious of my activities at the Christmas party, and maybe if I brought him to the concert I could get his mind off of it. I also thought it was the perfect way for us to bond just the two of us and possibly turn our almost-romantic-encounters into actually-romantic-encounters. There as also uncertainty with bringing Harry. He had never heard the band before and I wasn't sure if he would like them or not. I also was afraid that if I brought him without support I might crush any chance of us ever being together.

Normally in such a situation I would have been daring and chosen Harry, but in light of recent events I was safe and went with George Weasley. The concert was two days from then and I went into the city to get the perfect outfit. Little did I know all the trouble that would arise, a mere two days later.


	15. Cousin Diana

Diagon Ally was packed with people eager to spend their new Christmas money and gift certificates. My mother had dropped me off that morning with a pocket full of galleons and told me to meet her at the entrance at two o'clock. I hadn't told anyone that I was going, I wanted to be alone. As I walked down the crowded street I took comfort in the fact that I didn't know anyone there. Nobody looked at me; I was just another face in the crowd. At Hogwarts I was always under the constant surveillance of the student body who, though they pretended to be my friends, I knew were just waiting for me to slip up. At Grimmuald place I scarcely had a moment to draw a breath without someone inquiring what I was doing.

I walked all the way to the end of the cobblestone street to a store called, "Merrywigs Musical Magic". I entered and greeted Merrywig, an older man whose passion for music could not be out done by anyone. He had opened the shop as soon as he had finished the school and it had been on Diagon Ally ever since. I perused the shelf looking for the perfect outfit for the concert. I pulled out a baby pink shirt that said "Pixie" on it and hung it on my arm, and then I went to search for pants. I grabbed a pair of jeans with sequins going up the sides of the shelf and walked to the register to pay.

After that I had about a half an hour before I was to meet my mother so I went to get some ice cream and watched the people as they walked by. I caught a glimpse of Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas, but I was happy that they didn't see me. For once I just felt like being the invisible girl. A few people whispered as they walked by me, no doubt asking if I really was 'Addie White' the one they read about in the papers. After sitting for about twenty minutes I made my way to meet my mother, and go back to Grimmuald Place.

xxx

The day of the concert was as hectic a day as there ever was, and it all started with Snape visiting Grimmuald Place. Sirius had been very withdrawn as the day of our return to Hogwarts drew closer and was rarely seen around the house. Unfortunately, Sirius hadn't disappeared in time to miss Professor Snape sliding into the kitchen.

"I need a word with Harry." He said at once, "Dumbledore's orders."

"What are you doing here?" Sirius spat.

"Work for the order" Snape sneered, "But you wouldn't know anything about that."

"Severus Snape?" My mother had appeared in the doorway and a malicious smile was spreading across her face, "Long time no see, Snivellus."

His eyes narrowed with hatred and my mother flashed a shiny smile back, "I'm here on business Miss White I don't have time to play I-wish-I-still-ruled-the-world with you."

"Ohhhh" My mothers sneer grew wider, "That was clever Snivelly, really one of the best come backs I've ever heard from you. Just remember this…its better to have once ruled, then to have never ruled at all."

And with that my mother sauntered out of the kitchen humming loudly. Sirius and Snape both watched her as she left the room, though I suspect, they were both looking for different reasons.

Harry came down the stairs and looked around the room. His eyes fell on Snape and widened, "What are YOU doing here?"

Snape stiffened as Sirius smiled brightly, "Business Potter, business that involves you."

"Let's go into the kitchen." He motioned for Harry to follow him.

"I'm coming too!" Sirius insisted, "I'm his godfather."

Snape opened his mouth to protest but Sirius stopped him, "I'm coming."

As they entered the kitchen Fred, George, Ron, and I all turned back to continue our breakfast conversation pretending we weren't interested in whatever was going on in the kitchen.

George had been excited about the concert ever since I had chosen him to go. Every time it was mentioned he would smile brightly and casually say the number of hours it was until it began. Though Fred and Ron concealed it they were growing increasingly jealous as the concert drew closer.

They had all been big 'Hex' fanatics since the band had first come out and they had all scrounged up the cash every year to get their new CD. George's pride and joy shirt was one that depicted my cousin and the rest of the band, standing on a flying bass, while the people underneath bowed. At the top it had HEX written in big black letters. I went without saying that he was wearing it to the concert.

Fred and Ron sulked at the other end of the table as I gave George the details.

"So it starts at five but we're leaving at around three-thirty because of traffic on the way to the port-key and it takes a while to get in."

"Where is it anyway?" He asked.

"Some pub down in Liverpool" I told him, "My cousin chose it 'cause some old Muggle band played there once the Beets…or…the Bugs or something like that."

"The Beatles" Harry said from the top of the stairs, "They're a really famous muggle band."

"Well yeah" I said, "I'm more into muggle punk if I listen to any muggle music at all, but from what I heard the guitar player was actually a muggle born."

"Which one?" Harry asked.

"Umm…not the one that had the girlfriend with the funny name." I said.

"George then?" Harry laughed.

"What about me?" George perked up.

"No not you the guitar player from the Blettles." I snapped.

"The Beatles" Harry corrected.

"Whatever" I said, "So yeah he was Muggle born, that's why that one time he got stabbed he survived."

"Did he go to Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

"Nope, his parents wouldn't let him, they thought the whole 'magic' thing was weird, that's why nobody really knows about it."

"Gooooood morning everyone!" My mother said happily, bouncing into the room.

"Hey mom" I greeted, "Don't go in the kitchen Harry, Sirius, and Snape are having some sort of important heart-to-heart."

"All the more reason for me to interrupt." She smiled maliciously and pushed through the kitchen door.

I turned to George, "So do you wanna listen to the fight that's sure to break out?"

"Wouldn't dream of missing it." He pulled out two extendable ears and turned to the rest of the table, "Only for the concert-goers today."

We both ran to the doorway and slipped the extendable ear under the doorway.

"You can't stay in here!" Snape protested, "This is work for the Order!"

"I work for the Order just as much as you do Snivelly." My mother snapped, "You need to chill out."

"Yeah Snivelly" Sirius's voice said, "Chill out."

"FINE!" Snape yelled, "FINE!"

"Well" My mother laughed, "Continue"

Snape cleared his throat, "Potter I'll expect you in my office at no later than six. If anyone asks you're taking remedial potions, and I don't think that anyone will disagree that you need it."

"Wait just one minute!" Sirius commanded.

"Make this quick Black." Snape said silkily, "I'm rather in a hurry, unlike you I don't have very much leisure time."

"If I hear you're using these Occlumency lessons to bully Harry around, then you'll have me to answer to."

"And me" My mothers voice said.

"Oh well the gruesome twosome have paired up to fight for love, honor, and justice once again how touching." Snape sneered, "But I'm sure you've noticed that Potter is remarkably like his father."

"Of course" Sirius said proudly.

"Spitting image" My mother laughed.

"Well than you know that he's so self centered that no amount of criticism I give him could penetrate his ego."

There was a loud crash and footsteps rushing toward the direction of Snape's voice. I could hear the heels of my mothers shoes clicking on the tile floor.

"You've crossed the line now Snivelly." She whispered, "You don't talk about James, or Harry like that."

"Oh yes, but I bet even in death dear James's ego still lingers. It's alive in his son."

"Sirius!" Harry's voice cried.

"I warned you Snivellus." Sirius spat, "I don't care what Dumbledore things, you're no less of a toe rag than you were when we left school."

"Oh then why don't you tell him that?" Snape whispered, "But then again coming from a man who's been hiding in his mothers house fro six months I don't think you'll be taken very serious."

"Tell me, how's your dear friend Lucius these days? Happy his lapdog is back?"

"Good that you bring up dogs." Snape sneered, "He recognized you last time you decided to venture outside. Good idea Black, now no one will ever dream of making you do any sort of work."

"NO!" Harry shouted, there were more crashes, "SIRIUS PUT YOUR WAND DOWN!"

"Are you saying I'm a coward?" Sirius roared.

More crashes.

"Why yes, yes I am." Snape said with the same arrogance I had heard from Draco Malfoy two days before.

"Harry—go—get—someone—" My mother struggled, "Before—they—kill—each—other."

I heard footsteps coming toward the door and immediately pulled back my extendable ear, George did the same.

"What's going on in there?" Ron asked.

"Sirius and Snape are fighting." I replied sitting down in my chair.

The front door opened and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley bounced in.

"Dad!" All the Weasley's cried.

"Completely cured!" Mr. Weasley announced, "No where's the rest of the house?"

"In the kitchen but—" George began, but Mr.Weasley had already pushed himself through the door.

"My god what's going on in here?" Mr. Weasley asked, leaving the door wide opened.

Sirius and Snape both had their wand pointed at each other's faces, and one of Sirius's hands was around Snape's neck. My mother was standing between them, trying to push Sirius off of Snape, and Harry was trying to wrench Sirius's wand out of his hand.

"Six o'clock Monday Potter" Snape moved swiftly out of the room.

xxx

At four o'clock we all piled into a muggle taxi and it was about four-thirty when we finally got to the place of the port-key. My mother struggled with paying the taxi driver, but then we finally got out. George's eyes were glowing with anticipation as my mother said, "Okay now you two, just touch the hub cap and you'll be transported to just outside the pub. Have fun."

"One" I said.

"Two." George said.

"Three" We said in unison.

I touched the port key and I felt a tugging at my belly button. I was being pulled through time and space with George Weasley at my side. I landed with a thud on the ground right outside a dirty old pub.

"Is this it?" George asked, rising to his feet, "It doesn't seem big enough."

"Yes" I said, "This is it."

We walked through the dirty door and immediately were amazed. My cousin must have had the place enchanted so that the inside was at least the size of a palace. The stage was risen high above the audience and everyone was packing in. I was immediately shoved to the side as a big wizard in his late twenties roared, "I WANT IN!" He shoved his ticket at the big bouncer that was holding everyone back and ran in.

George and I shoved our ways to the front of the crowd and handed him our tickets, "Addie White and friend?" He asked looking at a picture of me on his desk.

"Yes" I replied, "Why?"

"Backstage passes." He smiled a toothless grin, "Miss. Diana left them for you."

"Oh" I said staring at the pass, "Thank you"

"Enjoy your show."

The dimly lit hall was seemed to expand with the number of people that was coming in so it never got anymore crowded. Since we had gotten there relatively early we went to stand up in the front. My cousin didn't believe in seating people for a concert she believed in 'first come first serve' so the earlier you got there the better seats you got. People were filing in screaming various song lyrics and the later it got the more frightening the wizards. The large wizard from the entrance hall asked me if I was really 'Addie White' and when I said yes he screamed, "HOT DAMN!"

"Hey boys!" he called motioning for a large group of wizards to come over, "HEY WE GOT ADDIE WHITE OVA HERE"

"Oh sweet Jesus…" I muttered to George.

A group of five came pushing their way to the angry crowd.

"By the way I'm Brad" the large wizard introduced himself.

He had tattoos climbing up his arm, of snakes that really slithered and dancing girls who crawled up and down his arms. The word "ROCK" was tattooed on his knuckles and flashed different colors.

The rest of his group consisted of two girls Coral and Midnight (I suspected they had changed their names). They both stared at me disapprovingly and asked, "What the hell is a painted up rich-chick doing at a Hex concert."

"If Diana saw her she'd probably kick her ass all the way off the stage." Midnight agreed.

"Oh do you mean my COUSIN?" I asked, "The one who gave me backstage passes? _That_ Diana?"

They stared at me in disbelief, "Diana isn't your cousin!"

"You think we're gonna believe that?" Coral asked.

"Well let's see" I put my hand to my chin in mock thought, "Her last name is white. I do have this backstage pass and its widely known that Diana only gives out backstage passes you cant buy them….hmmm…I think I am."

"Well a believe you." A tall wizard stepped forward, "The name's Dave."

Something clicked in my mind, _Drunken Warlock Dave!_

The rest of the group introduced themselves as Snake, Pain, Torpedo, and Jeff.

Suddenly the whole hall went black.

"What's going on?" George asked.

"No idea I replied."

"NOW" A voice reverberated across the hall, "LET ME PRESENT TO YOU…..HEX!"

There was a roar from the crowd as the lights turned on and the whole band was standing on stage.

"WHY ARE YOU HERE?" My cousin shouted.

The whole crowd shouted back, "TO ROCK!"

"Well don't let me stop you." She laughed.

The band struck up the first tune, and my cousin grabbed the microphone. I recognized it immediately. Anarchy in the U.K-the Sex Pistols.

Right! Now ha, ha,  
I am an antichrist  
I am an anarchist  
Don't know what I want  
But I know how to get it  
I wanna destroy the passerby

'Cause I wanna be Anarchy  
No dogs body

Anarchy for the UK  
It's coming sometime and maybe  
I give a wrong time stop a traffic line  
Your future dream is a shopping scheme

'Cause I wanna be Anarchy  
In the city

How many ways to get what you want  
I use the best  
I use the rest  
I use the enemy  
I use Anarchy

'Cause I wanna be Anarchy  
It's the only way to be

Is this the M.P.L.A or  
Is this the U.D.A or  
Is this the I.R.A  
I thought it was the UK  
Or just another country  
Another council tenancy

I Wanna be Anarchy  
I Wanna be Anarchy  
Oh what a name

I wanna be Anarchy  
Know what I mean?

And I wanna be an anarchist  
Get pissed  
Destroy!

The crowd went wild as cousin screamed, "FUCK THE MINISTRY!" Which just so happened to be the title of their latest CD.

The band consisted of three people. My cousin being the lead singer was the most identifiable. Her hair was short and died purple around all the tips and two pieces in the front. Her bass was bright pink and sparkly. She hopped around the stage and screamed like there was no tomorrow.

"You may have the rest of them fooled" Coral whispered in my ear, "But there's no way you're related to Diana."

"Go to hell" George rounded on her, "You're just a poser who changed her name to seem cool. I know who you are. You were in seventh year when I was in first, your name is Sadie-Jane and you were Head Girl. And 'Midnight' over there is Sally Martin. So why don't you just turn around and leave Addie alone."

Needless to say 'Coral' and 'Midnight' shut right up.

They played their entire "Blank Stare" CD before getting to my personal favorite. It came off of their third album 'Ribosome Spaceship".

"This next song is Rebels of the Sacred Heart." My cousin announced.

Now Im aimin' for heaven

But probably wind up down in hell

Where upon this alter I will hang my guilt ridden head

But its time Ill take before I begin

Three sheets to the wind, Three sheets to the wind

Rebels are we, though heavy our hearts shall always be

Ah, no ball or chain no prison shall keep

Were the rebels of the sacred heart

I said no ball or chain no prison shall keep

Were the rebels of the sacred heart

Terrified of the open road

Yeah, where it leads ya never know

But rest assured hell be on you back

Yeah, the Holy Ghost through his tounges in black

As th band dog howls and the young girl cries

The blessed virgin in her proud dads eye

The albatross hangin' round your neck

Is the cross you bare for your sins he bleeds

Rebels are we, though heavy our hearts shall always be

Ah, no ball or chain no prison shall keep

Were the rebels of the sacred heart

Genuflect all you refugees who fled the land

Now on guilt you kneel

And say a prayer for those left behind

From beyond the pale to the Northern sky

So you saved your shillins and your last six pence

Cause in Gods name they built a barbed wire fence

Be glad you sailed for a better day

But dont forget therell be hell to pay

Rebels are we, though heavy our hearts shall always be

Ah, no ball or chain no prison shall keep

Were the rebels of the sacred heart

I said no ball or chain no prison shall keep

Were the rebels of the sacred heart

Resurrection no protection all things life must be

Ah no ball or chain no prison shall keep

Were the rebels of the sacred heart

Now bless me father for I have sinned

But it's the same old story again and again and again

Ah well, such is the bread of an everyday life

From mornin' to noon to this shadowless-night

Rebels are we, though heavy our hearts shall always be

Ah, no ball or chain no prison shall keep

Were the rebels of the sacred heart

I said no ball or chain no prison shall keep

Were the rebels of the sacred heart

The crowd went crazy and next thing I knew I was caught in a moshpit. Brad slammed into me so I slammed into Coral. George was going crazy thrashing around anyone who he could find. He elbowed me in the chest so I rammed my whole body in between his shoulder blades. Next thing I knew I was being picked up by Brad and Drunk-Warlock-Dave and being passed around the entire hall. At the end of the song my started laughing uncontrollably.

"Hi Addie" She said, "Come up here."

Nobody really knew who Diana was talking about so I continued being tossed around the crowed.

"YOU!" My cousin cried at the large warlock who was holding me now, "Pass her up here."

Suddenly I was being passed up the front of the stage.

"Hi Diana" I said when I finally got to my feet again, "How are you?"

"I'm doing good." She smiled, "Everyone! This is my cousin Addie."

The crowd did nothing, "Jesus you're rude. Say hi to my cousin!"

"HI ADDIE!" The crowd screamed.

"Didn't you bring a friend to this thing?" My cousin asked me, "Bring him up here."

Soon enough George was being sent towards the front of the stage.

"Alright you guys are our new go-go dancers." She announced, "So we're gonna play our last song and you guys can just…bash around…"

"Works for me" George smiled, "bashing around is my expertise."

"Mine as well" I smiled at him as the guitar struck up the first chord.

Hey, where have you gone?  
You used to be the one  
That we looked up to  
Seemed like nothing  
Could break you down  
How high was your price?  
Was it worth it?  
Nothing in life is a sure bet anyway  
You're gone  
Guess you weren't here from the start  
In the end  
Its all a question of heart

Hey, where have you gone?  
You used to be the one  
That we looked up to  
Seemed like nothing  
Could break you down  
How high was the price?  
And was it worth it?  
Nothing in life is a sure bet anyway  
You're gone  
I guess you were here from the start  
In the end  
Its all a question of heart

Hey, where did it go?  
Everything we fought for  
And everything it meant,  
maybe we were just naive  
But I still believe  
There are only a few things  
That really belong  
To make who I am  
Who I was  
Who I wanna be  
Who I wanna be

I threw myself around the stage and bounced like it was going out of style. I flung my hair around my face and lifted my arms above my head.

Hey, where have I gone?  
I used to be the one  
Looking for a hero  
In some far off place  
Blindly ever forward  
Never knowing all along  
The truth was right here  
In my own song

The crowd was going wild and I could see Coral and Midnight staring angrily up at the stage as they tried to maintain balance. The song ended and the thrashing died down. When I stopped jumping I realized how tired I was. Droplets of sweat were pouring down my face and I looked at George who had turned oddly pale and was gasping for breath.

"Good Show" He laughed.

"One of the best" I replied.

"THANK YOU FOR COMING!" Diana screamed, "I JUST HAVE ONE THING LEFT TO SAY AND I NEED YOU ALL TO HEAR IT!"

The crowd quieted and my cousin drew her breath, "Voldemort is back. No matter what the Ministry tells you. He's back, and it's now or never. Time to fight for what you believe in."

And with that my cousin, and the rest of the band dissaparated. Everyone was quiet. So quiet everyone heard me as I muttered, "Oh No"

xxx

George and I gave our backstage passes to two random first years and went straight home. Both of us knew that what my cousin had said was going to bring in major consequences; we just weren't sure what they were yet. We rode rode the Underground back into London, and walked our way back to Grimmuald place. It was cold out and I wished I had brought along a jacket. George saw me shiver and slipped a nervous arm over my shoulders.

The concert had done nothing but confirm my friendship with George. And as happy as I was to have had a good time, I was upset too. I thought maybe going with George would have given me some newfound knowledge over what I should do about him and Harry. I thought maybe it would help me decide between the two, but it did nothing but confuse me more.

Why wasn't I all over George? He was attractive, funny, great to be around. He was defiantly one of my best friends in the whole world. So why wasn't I fawning over him? Harry was reclusive, angry, sullen, and depressing but I was madly in love with him. It made no sense. Everything that should be a turn-off was drawing me to Harry more and everything that should be a turn-off was making no impression on me with George. By the time we arrived at Grimmuald place, my head was spinning.

I entered the apartment to a sight I was not expecting to see.

Diana was standing about an inch away from my mother. Sweat was pouring down her face in her torn tee-shirt was falling off one shoulder. Her eyes were narrowed angrily and she was clutching her wand in one hand.

My mother was the angriest I had ever seen her. Fumes were pouring out of her ears as she screamed at my cousin. Her hair was disheveled and her makeup was only half done. My mother would normally have never been seen out of her room like that but for some reason now it didn't matter. She was wearing her bathrobe and fuzzy slippers and she too, was clutching her wand.

Sirius was standing on the other side of the room trying his best not to get involved and as I looked up at the stairs Fred, Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Ginny were all lined up listening.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were watching from the kitchen, also staying out of the fight that had broken out in the entrance hall.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD MAKE A STATEMENT LIKE THAT!" My mother cried, "WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOU MIND."

"Oh don't pop an ovary." Diana replied coolly putting her feet up on the table, "Nobody gives a shit what some nobody rocker has to say."

"OUR FAMILY WAS SUPPOSED TO KEEP A LOW PROFILE! AND NOW I HAVE THE DAILY PROPHET CALLING ME UP FOR INTERVIEWS!" My mother shrieked.

"Well maybe you've forgotten, but you're brother died because of Voldemort. My father DIED Aunt Sherri." Diana retorted, "I'm not gonna stand around and pretend like none of this is happening. My fans have a right to know what they're facing when they leave the concert hall. They have a right to know whose out there, and I'll be damned if I'm, gonna keep it a secret."

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE REPROCUSSIONS THIS IS GOING TO HAVE ON ME?" My mother yelled, "I'M GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING INFORMATION NOW BECAUSE THEY'LL THINK I'M A SPY!"

"Oh so sorry to cut into your social life!" Diana spat, "I guess you wont be going to as many parties now."

"That's not what this is about Diana" My mother cried, "This is about the safety of the Order. Of our family, of Addie!"

"You know what Aunt Sherri?" Diana said, "Go to hell"

And with that profound statement she grabbed her things and sauntered out the door.

xxx

My cousin wasn't talked about after that. Next thing I knew I was packing up my things and being rushed back to Platform nine and three quarters. I had never ridden the Hogwarts Express before and as much as I hated to admit it, I was excited. We arrived at Kings Cross and I felt my body tense up.

"S—So where's the platform?" I asked trying to repress my excitement.

"Over here." My mother said rushing me toward what looked like, a big brick wall.

"Mom" I said, "I don't see anything."

"Well…just run at the wall…" My mother told me, "Run at the wall and the platform is on the other side."

I stared at the obviously solid wall then back at my mother. Everyone standing around me seemed to be in agreement that this was the correct thing to do.

"Mom" I began slowly, "Its not normally intelligent to run into brick walls."

"Oh…let Harry and Ron show you."

They both stepped forward and proceeded to run toward the wall. I anticipated the crash…but it never came. They ran right through the wall and didn't even come out the other side.

"Your turn" My mother smiled, "Just go through."

"Wait…wha—"

Suddenly Fred and George had grabbed hold of both my arms then thrown me through the brick wall. Instead of finding myself lying on the floor staring up at the laughing hysterically at my broken body. I looked around to see a large scarlet train with the words "Hogwarts Express" along the side and all of my fellow classmates dragging their trunks onto the train as crying parents kissed them goodbye.

The train ride was very interesting. We all got a compartment and Harry, Ron, and Hermione caught me up on all the things that I had missed. Apparently at the hospital they had found out that Neville's parents had been in a ward for people whose brains had been addled by magic when Bellatrix Black had tortured them for information on Voldemort's whereabouts. Harry was now being forced to take Occlumency lessons with Snape at six o'clock to make sure Voldemort couldn't take over his mind, and Ron had developed a rash on his elbow.

School began as normal. All the kids caught up with each other on their winter plans and came back with hilarious stories filled with drunk relatives and spells that backfired.

Harry was telling everyone that he had Remedial Potions and that's why he wasn't sure when the next D.A meeting would be. It was all normal and I was happy to be back with my friends and (though I wouldn't admit it) taking classes again. It gave me less time to think about all the things that had changed in my life over the holiday. I couldn't ponder the meaning of the Snow White jewelry box, or think about what I was going to do about George Weasley. I didn't have time to think about Draco Malfoy under the mistletoe, or about the Hex concert. I didn't think about Sirius (much) or if things would change now that he was my father.

I occupied myself with my social life and completing the pounds of homework the teachers were giving us as O.W.L's drew closer.

I had been living quite happily until one night up in the common room.

"So where's Harry?" I asked Ron as I poured over my Potions homework, "Remedial potions I suppose…"

"Err…there's something we need to tell you about Harry now that you mention it…" Ron said awkwardly.

"What?" I asked.

"Well…today…he…err…I know you like him…but umm…" Ron couldn't seem to get out the words.

"Oh Addie" Hermione sympathized, "He asked Cho Chang out for Valentines day."

My world came to a crashing halt. I could feel my head spinning and I could hear Hermione talking but I didn't take in a word of any of it. I felt like I was falling into the floor. I wanted to crawl into a corner and die. Somehow I managed the words, "I'm going to take a walk."

I walked out of the portrait hole and wandered around the school. Everyone was upstairs in their common room so I was not disturbed. It was when I got to the second floor that I collapsed. I sank down onto the floor and cried. I didn't care that anyone could come out and find me. I didn't care that I was letting a boy mess with my emotions, or that that boy was Harry Potter. I paid no attention to the ghosts who kept drifting by. I just sank on the floor and I cried.

Harry had given me the music box. He had stuttered his way through telling me how good of a friend I was and it meant nothing? I had read too much into it. I assumed that by 'friend' he meant more but obviously he didn't. Obviously he say something in Cho Chang that I didn't have. She was better than me. She had won.

I buried my head in my knees as I felt myself sobbing harder.

"Addie?" I felt a hand lightly touch my shoulder, "Addie a—are you okay?"

I looked up. I expected to see a teacher. I expected Harry, George, Ron, Hermione, anyone, but instead I saw Draco Malfoy staring back at me.

His expression was soft and concerned as he looked at me, lying in fetal position on the cold floor.

"I—I'm fine" I wiped the tears off of my face, "Just t—taking a walk."

"You're a terrible liar you know that?" He bent down and helped be clean my face, "Now what's wrong?"

I had no intention of spilling my guts to anyone, especially not to Draco Malfoy. But before my intentions could grab any sort of hold on my speech I poured my troubles out to him.

"H—Harry asked Cho to go out with him on Valentines Day." I cried, a new flood of tears coming over me, "I—I thought maybe he had started to like me. He—He got me this really beautiful Christmas gift—and now—" I broke off.

Draco held my head to his chest and he said, "Harry Potter doesn't know what he wants."

"H—He obviously knows what he d—doesn't want." I cried.

Draco lifted my face gently with his hands, "I know I haven't impressed you lately, and I know that I've done nothing to deserve it. But will you accompany me to Hogsmede on Valentines Day?"

I looked up at him. He had the same look in his eyes that day when he helped me when I was sick. His eyes were filled with compassion and his face had dawned a soft expression. For that moment, old Draco had returned.

"I would love to go with you." I replied.

He smiled his first genuine smile all year.


	16. Valentine's disaster

I didn't tell them. I totally meant to, but I just couldn't make the words come out. I was going to march up to that common room, look at Harry, Ron, and Hermione right in the eye and say, "Draco Malfoy asked me to Hogsmede on Valentines Day and I accepted his invitation." My confidence lasted all the way up to the portrait hole. I entered the common room and saw them all huddled together and I froze.

They motioned for me to come over, and Hermione smiled sweetly at me knowing that I had been upset when I left, and I froze. I couldn't do it. I couldn't tell them. I would have betrayed them. I would have betrayed them twice if I told them about the kiss. I had just become a member of the group and I didn't want to be thrown out again.

What if the news got to George? He would hate me too. Angelina would never speak to me again for going with the boy who caused the demise of the Quidditch team. Fred and Ginny would want to ring my neck several times over and every friendship I'd made all year would crash and burn. I couldn't tell them.

"H—Hi guys!" I said cheerfully sitting down next to them by the fire.

"H—Hi Addie." Harry stuttered. He must have known about my mysterious flight from the common room after the news of his date with Cho.

I shifted uncomfortably in my spot, "What's up?"

"While I was at Occlumency…" Harry said lowering his voice the way he always did when he had something important to say, "I got this funny feeling. Voldemort was pleased…really pleased…about what I'm not sure."

"I suspect," I said, "That we'll find out why tomorrow."

xxx

I woke up early the next morning and dressed quickly. I had a plan to make sure that no one found out about my Valentines Day plans. The Slytherins were always the first to arrive to the Great Hall in the morning. I stood by the entrance and waited for them to arrive.

They were all a pretty shady bunch. The collars of their robes were pulled up to cover their mouths and they all muttered in hushed, happy, voices. They eyed me suspiciously as they passed through the entrance. I didn't care. I was waiting for Draco. He was in the middle of a large group of fifth year Slytherins talking proudly about something, and I hoped to God it wasn't me.

I pushed through the crowd and grabbed Malfoy in the middle, "We need to talk."

Everyone had stopped to stare at us, "About what my dar—"

"About that thing you did in Potions." I stared at him hoping he would understand.

His smile brightened, "Oh yeah…that _thing_."

I pulled him away from the rest of the group saying, "Follow us and I'll rip out all of your vital organs."

No one dared come after us.

"Look Draco…" I whispered.

"You don't want anyone to know about us," He smiled, "I figured as much."

I couldn't help but feel bad, "It's just—"

"You're scared what Harry Potter and his super troops might think," He said bitterly.

"Basically," I said, "Please don't be upset with me…"

"It's alright," He said, "I understand."

"Thank you," I sighed. "Really…it means a lot…"

"I have to go," He looked around the corner. "We don't want to be seen talking for too long."

Before I could respond he had whipped around the corner.

"What was _that_ all about?" Pansy asked. "Was she messing with you again Draco?"

"I'm not at liberty to say," He replied. "Lets go inside, the others are arriving."

"But—"

"Just get inside Pansy."

The rest of the houses were slowly coming into the Great Hall from different directions and I casually slipped in with the Gryffindors without them noticing that I hadn't been there before.

I sat next to Harry, Ron, and Hermione like always and waited for the morning owls to arrive. One came carrying Hermione's usual issue of the Daily Prophet. She folded it out in a very businesslike manner and cleared her throat. Her eyes bulged as she looked at the front page, "Oh no…" she whispered passing the Prophet to the rest of us.

There were ten black and white photos of different wizards and one witch who had been in Azkaban for the past fifteen years. Each picture was more frightening than the one before it. Some were jeering at the camera with their dark eyes narrowed menacingly, while others just looked bored.

Augustus Rockwood had leaked Ministry secrets to Voldemort.

Antonin Dolohov had murdered Gideon and Fabian Prewett.

And the last picture, the one that upset me the most: My second cousin, "Bellatrix Lestrang" was convicted of the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom. I was related to the woman who had taken Neville's parents away. Even the smallest portion of her blood flowed through my veins. It made me positively sick.

They had all broken out of Azkaban. Every last one of them was now on the loose able to commit their crimes again. The ministry, instead of seeing the reality that Voldemort was back, was saying that they were rallying around Sirius.

"Oh…and Addie…" Hermione shoved the paper over in my direction, "page three."

I turned to the page that Hermione had indicated and spit my drink all over poor Seamus Finnegan.

_PUNK ROCK PRINCESS DIANA WHITE YOU-KNOW-WHO SUPPORTER_

_This week at a concert in Liverpool Diana White made one of the most blatant You-Know-Who support statements of all time. At the end of her last song she waited until the crowd had quieted down and said, __"You-Know-Who is back. No matter what the Ministry tells you. He's back, and it's now or never. Time to fight for what you believe in." _

_When asked exactly 'what she believes in' she responded "If you cant figure it out you're even bigger gits than she thought originally" and proceeded to give us a rude hand gesture. This obviously proves that she is hiding something. Also, and possibly most disturbing of all of these facts, she did not say You-Know-Who but used his name. _

"_No one on the side of good would ever dare use His name." The minister was quoted saying, "But seeing as she only declared her loyalty to him, and she has committed no actual crimes, we cannot arrest her." The ministry is, however, investigating her involvement with the mass breakout of You-Know-Who supporters that happened last night._

_The band 'Hex' is notorious for anti ministry statements and politically charged albums. 'MC-Corm' the drummer was once found at the scene of a mass You-Know-Who support rally but cleared of all charges, and 'Little Lainie' (guitarist) it transpires was very close friends with Bartimus Crouch Jr. _

_Diana is the cousin of the famous model Sherri White. When questioned about the incident she told the ministry, "There is no way I would believe that Diana was making any sort of statement for You-Know-Who, and I had no prior knowledge that such a statement would be made." Then she threw us out of her house. She was very reluctant, however, to talk about the involvement of her daughter who was caught on stage while the statement was made. Addie White and an unidentified guest were brought on stage just before the statement was made and did nothing to stop it. This administration just hopes that the out of control rocker isn't trying to corrupt our impressionable youth. _

"Oh…my…God…" I said, "Oh…My…God…"

"It gets worse," Hermione said, "A man that we saw in St.Mungo's was strangled to death by a plant in his room, a plant we saw them bring in."

"I'm accused of being a Voldemort supporter Hermione," I said angrily. "It doesn't get any worse than that, no matter how many killer plants there are out there."

"T—that Bode guy—he was an unspeakable—I've heard my dad talk about him!" Ron exclaimed.

"I met him with your dad when I went for my hearing." Harry said solemnly.

Hermione stood up and threw her bag over her shoulder.

"Where are you going?" Ron asked.

"To send a letter…it's the only way really…I have to…" She left the Great Hall leaving us utterly confused.

"No use in asking anymore," Ron said. "She never answers correctly anyway."

It came as no surprise when we heard that Hagrid was on probation. His lesson with Umbridge hadn't exactly gone well. I had to listen all day to Harry saying things about Draco, and pretending I agreed. Rumors were flying around the school about the ten escaped Death Eaters and everyone seemed to think that they were going to break into Hogwarts. I had grown up hearing all of these names the same way that any of them had. Rockwood, aside from giving information to the Ministry, had been the one who murdered my Uncle, Diana's father.

It took me a while to realize that people in the halls were looking at me strangely. They would see me and mutter darkly to the person next to them. It took me a while to figure out that they thought I was a Voldemort supporter. They had all read about the concert, or heard about it from friends, and had collectively decided that I was a Death Eater. Everyone was trying to figure out who the 'unidentified guest' was but I never told a soul. George needed this as much as he needed cursed underwear.

Umbridge had sent out another new decree that stated that teachers were not allowed to give students any information that wasn't directly related to the subject that they taught.

Many students had taken to making jokes about this new decree by telling Umbridge not to punish them because it wasn't directly related to the subject that she taught. I found myself making many brews of essence of murtlap for the students who did so.

Umbridge was present at every Divination and Care of Magical Creatures lesson. She harassed Trelawney throughout class, trying to force her to make predictions on the spot, and to prove her skills at any sort of Crystal ball reading or tea leaves.

Hagrid's classes were dreadfully depressing since all of his happiness to teach had disappeared. He wasn't showing the creatures he wanted, only the ones that Hermione told him would be acceptable. He had forbidden us to come and visit him and was growing very distant from the students he loved.

All that there was to look forward to were D.A meetings, Megan and I always had a good time practicing our curses on each other. And it seemed that everyone was working to the best of their ability now that news of ten death eaters escapes had come up. Neville was working hard her than anyone with the news that the woman who had tortured his parents had escaped.

One faithful night I had to make a speech that everyone had been waiting for.

I was sick of all the looks in the halls. I was sick of the way even the D.A members watched me as I cursed Megan across the room. I was sick of the rumors. I was sick of everything.

"ATTENTION!" I said as one D.A meeting was about to end. "I need to make an announcement."

Everyone stared in my direction, eagerly awaiting whatever it was I had to say, "I would like to put the rumors to rest."

"Finally…" Zacharias snorted.

"I was at the concert the night my cousin made the statement, but it was by no means a pro-Voldemort type of thing. My cousin's father was killed by Voldemort and she wanted to tell her fans what they were up against. I had no idea that any of it was going to occur I was just on stage dancing."

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Megan screamed as I was done.

Everyone turned to look at her, "Sorry," she shrugged, "It just seemed appropriate."

"So who's the unidentified guest?" Cho asked. "Do you have a boyfriend."

"I was the unidentified guest," George said from the back of the room, "And unfortunately, no, she doesn't have a boyfriend."

"I THINK GEORGE WANTS TO BE YOUR BOYFRIEND!" Megan screamed unnecessarily.

"Thank you Megan." He said.

"Any time Georg-ey poo." She smiled.

I was leaving for bed very early each night to ensure that I wouldn't have to see Harry's return from Occlumency lessons. Every time I saw him I felt my stomach get all twisted and I couldn't seem to think straight. I saw him smile at Cho in the halls and I could feel whatever I had eaten rising up within me. Hermione was the only one who noticed. She made excuses for me when I suddenly would have to leave the room whenever the conversation turned to Cho.

Valentine's morning rolled around and as I woke up I felt distinctly that I did not want to get out of bed. I had arranged with Draco during potions to meet him at Madame Puddifoot's. None of my friends would be there so I would surely not be spotted. I put on the pink shirt that I had worn to the concert and threw on some jeans. I pulled my hair back with two small pink bows and applied the usual makeup. I didn't want to seem like I was dressing for anything in particular.

I grabbed my coat and ran down to the common room where groups of giddy girls were giggling over their Valentines. As I came down they all looked up at me.

"Yours are over there," Parvati said irritably motioning to a large stack of boxes in the corner of the room. "And your cards are tacked to the bulletin board."

There was a list of names of everyone in Gryffindor and their cards were tacked underneath. I searched for my name for a long time and then I realized there was an entirely separate bulletin board for my cards.

"Uhh…I'll read them later…" I said, grabbing the cards and bringing them upstairs, then making another trip for all of the chocolate boxes and stuffed bears.

When I came back down for the final time Hermione, Harry, and Ron were gathered around the fire.

"Oh," Ron blushed, "H—Hi Addie"

"Hey Ron!" I smiled. "What's in your hand?"

"Y—Your Valentine…" He said handing me a poorly wrapped box, "H—Hope you like it."

I opened a small box of chocolate frogs.

"Oh thanks Ron!" I hugged him, "I love Chocolate Frogs."

Harry looked up from the fire, "I—I got you this…"

He handed me a very small box. I looked at it suspiciously. If he was so in love with Cho then why did he get me all of these gifts? I felt Hermione's gaze piercing through me as I opened it. It was a small, heart pendant. It was made to go on the end of a necklace.

I beamed in spite of myself, "It's beautiful Harry."

I bent over and lightly kissed him on the cheek, "Happy Valentines Day"

He blushed and I could feel my cheeks going red too, "Happy Valentines Day."

As we walked down to take the train to Hogsmede Harry departed to meet up with Cho at the entrance hall.

"You know," Hermione whispered as Harry and Cho began to talk, "He didn't get her anything for Valentines Day."

I whipped around, "What?"

"He didn't get her anything," She said matter-of-factly. "I asked him this morning."

"But…why would he do that?" I asked now staring intently at Harry and Cho.

"I would never pretend to understand the inner workings of Harry Potter," She said. "But I think there's someone he cares about more than Cho Chang."

George Weasley was strangely absent from the train, though I didn't notice until we were about to get off. I had been expecting him to shower me with gifts in an attempt to win over my heart, and I couldn't help but be pleased that he was nowhere in sight.

As the train came to a halt I made a very big deal over tying my shoe.

"Go on without me," I told Ron and Hermione. "I'll catch up later."

They eyed me suspiciously as the left the train. When they were gone I let out a sigh of relief. I had told Draco I would meet him at the exit of the train station. No sooner had I stepped off the train did I hear his deep voice, "And here I was thinking you were going to stand me up."

"I had to get rid of Ron and Hermione," I told him. "Let's go."

"Don't you have some sort of secret path we can take so nobody will see us together?" Draco asked.

"Stop complaining Draco you're lucky you even got me here." I snapped.

Draco drew in a deep breath, "I suppose you're right."

We entered the city and passed by Zonko's I waved at Elliot who was wearing a hat that insulted anyone who passed by. It was quite hilarious until it called the big man that was standing across the street an 'oaf' and Elliot had to dive into the shop and hide under the front desk for a half hour before the man lost interest in him and left.

Madame Puddifoot's was at the end of a long road. It was a small, cozy, little tea house that had been extensively decorated for Valentines Day. As we entered little cupids threw pink confetti all over Malfoy and he angrily wiped it out of his hair.

"Shoo!" He spat at the cherub as it made a motion to throw more confetti.

All the tables were draped with pink, frilly table cloths. The backs of the chairs were shaped like hearts. I noticed a few couples from Hogwarts scattered around, but they were all so involved in their conversations that they took no time to notice as Draco and I took our seats near the back.

"This place…" Draco said looking around, "Is positively revolting."

"Isn't it though?" I laughed.

"If one of those damn cherubs tries to pull that confetti stuff with me again I swear—"

"Don't be so angry Draco," I scolded. "It's Valentine's Day."

"Whatever you say," He sunk down low in his chair as if he was embarrassed at the very thought of being seen amid so many frills.

"Man oh man," I said disgustedly, "This place looks like Umbridge's office."

"She's not that bad you know," Draco said sitting up again, "Professor Umbridge I mean…"

"Maybe to you she's not." I muttered.

"Well maybe if you didn't hang around with trash like that Potter then she would like you better." He observed coolly.

"Oh as opposed to hanging out with trash like Crabbe, Goyle, or that disgusting Pansy girl?"

"I choose my friends for very different reasons than you choose yours." He stated, leaning back casually in his seat.

"Oh yes," I said, "I choose my friends based on moral character, how they treat others, and chivalry. While you prefer to choose based on pureness of blood, how they separate others, and conniving behavior."

"That's not entirely true," Draco laughed. "I wouldn't really describe Crabbe or Goyle as conniving."

"True…true…" I said leaning my hand up against the table.

Before I really knew what was happening Draco had reached over and snatched my free hand. I looked around the room and saw that all the couples were either busy with their mouths, or holding hands. I decided that at this moment, I would stick with holding hands.

The door chimed and I looked to see who was coming in. My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. Cho was smiling and leading a very nervous Harry into Madam Puddifoot's.

"Shit!" I muttered snatching my hand away from Malfoy, "Shit shit shit!"

I pulled up my menu to cover my face. I peered over the side to see that they had taken a seat right next to the door, my only means of escape.

"Well," Draco said looking in the direction of Harry and Cho, "That complicates things."

"Yes," I sighed, "Yes it does."

We ordered two coffees from Madame Puddifoot and Draco tried to strike up conversation. That's when both my date, and apparently Harry's, took a downward spiral.

"So," He asked, "Who was the 'unidentified guest'?"

"George Weasley," I replied, looking over his shoulder as Cho rejected Harry's hand.

"Really?" He raised one eyebrow. "I thought you would have taken Potter, but then again, it would have been all over the newspapers if it had been him."

"Tell me about it," I replied as Harry shifted awkwardly in his chair. I secretly hoped that his date was going horribly.

"Luckily it was a Weasley" Malfoy snorted, "They're the biggest nobodies that has ever mucked up this planet."

"Umm…Draco," I looked at him, "I'm friends with the Weasley's."

"One of your many flaws," He said sipping his coffee. "The others being your association with mudbloods, and Potter."

I looked over at Cho who seemed to be crying. I hoped their date ended soon so I could leave.

"I can't understand the way you trash your family's name. The people you are associated with. I would rather be caught dead than seen gallivanting around with a Weasley, or that show-off mudblood Granger."

"Is this your way of romancing me Malfoy?" I spat, "Insulting my friends?"

"I'm just saying what the rest of the Slytherins are," He replied, "You have no idea how many times I've had to defend you by saying you just strayed down the wrong path. I'm so glad you agreed to come with me today…now I can finally show you how to make proper friends."

I would have slapped him right there, but then I heard Cho scream, "GO ON AND LEAVE THEN!"

Her pale face was streaked with tears, "I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU ASKED ME HERE IF YOU WERE GOING TO MEET OTHER GIRLS! HOW MANY ARE THERE AFTER HERMIONE?"

"It's not like that!" Harry protested, but the sides of his mouth were twitching and he stifled a laugh. "Really Cho…I didn't want to go with Hermione its just she had something important for me to do and…"

"I'LL SEE YOU AROUND HARRY!" She sprang dramatically from her chair and stormed out of the coffee shop.

Harry sat dumbfounded for a moment, then paid the bill and rushed out the door.

I made sure he was well out of sight before I rounded on Malfoy, "You are," I screamed, "the most pathetic excuse for a person I have ever had the displeasure of meeting."

I pushed my chair out and slammed my napkin on the table, "I cannot believe I wasted a perfectly good Valentines Day on the likes of YOU. You make me SICK! I would rather be with George Weasley or Harry Potter anyway!"

"Fine," He said, "It's no use thinking I could change you. You're just as bad as any of the blood traitors or mudbloods you hang around with. I can't believe I even touched your filth!"

Then I did something I never thought I'd do. I pushed the entire contents of the table, into Malfoy's lap. Two scolding hot coffees, one glass of water, three biscuits, a plate of jam, and chicken noodle soup all fell into Malfoy's lap along with the table.

"I'll see you around, Malfoy." I spat.

He tried to say something back, but the point of the table was jabbing into his lap and he seemed to have lost the ability to draw breath, let alone speak.

All of Madame Puddifoot's clapped as I left the room. I, on the other hand, broke down into tears as soon as I heard the door close behind me. The people on the street watched suspiciously as I ran to the first place that came to mind…Zonko's.

Elliot had closed the store and a sign outside said, "Closed for Personal Protection" and I could see the large man looming menacingly across the street. I banged hard on the window and Elliot came over to tell me to read the sign, but when he saw my tear stricken face, he let me in.

"What's the matter Add-inator?" He asked, hoisting himself up onto the counter, "Tell master Elliot all about it."

"I—I made a b—big mistake!" I cried. "I—went out with D—Draco Malfoy on V—Valentine's Day and all because H—Harry Potter took Cho Chang."

"What about George Weasley?" He asked curiously. "I was almost positive he would have asked you."

"He didn't…" I muttered, "Not that I would deserve a date with him…the way Malfoy talks about his family…I can't believe I even said yes to that jerk!"

Elliot stroked his chin in thought for a moment, "So I take it you like this Harry Potter?"

"Y—Yes" I stammered, "V—Very much…"

"I think George mentioned that once…." He said thoughtfully, "Do you want to know what I think?"

"Very much," I said again.

"Go with who makes you feel the best. I mean…I'm sure this Harry is a nice guy, but from what George has told me he's not exactly your ideal mate. I mean he practically ignores you…and with a pretty face like yours…I mean…how could he? He seems to be a very depressed fellow who doesn't really know what he wants. And if he can't figure out that he wants you the way you want him what point is there in even pursuing it. Now George on the other hand…George would do anything for you. You should here the way he goes on and on about you when he comes in here, I can't get him to shut up. You seem to have a really good time with him, and he obviously knows what he wants…and he'll take care of you. Would Harry Potter take care of you?"

Would Harry Potter take care of me? I had never thought about it before. He seemed to care about the well being of everyone, but he's very absorbed with himself. There's no doubt that he would keep me safe, but when it came to me and his problems, which would matter more?

George would put aside anything for me. He had made that clear. George cared for me in a way that Harry had never shown.

"No," I replied looking out the window, "Harry wouldn't take care of me."

"And as for this Draco Malfoy character," He said, "You made a mistake…everyone makes mistakes."

"If my friends find out they'll hate me…"

"If they hate you over a mistake then they're not really your friends."

I looked outside. The sun was setting and it was just about time to get back on the train.

"Thanks Elliot…I really appreciate it."

"Ah no problem!" he said. "And Addie…remember…it's not always what you want more…it's what's better for you."

"I'll remember that…" I smiled.

I did remember it. I remembered it for the rest of my life.


	17. A Secret Revealed

The next Monday at school Harry explained over dinner the reason he had left Cho in such a hurry was because he had to give an interview with Rita Skeeter that Hermione had arranged. As he told the story I had to pretend like I had no idea what was coming next, even though I had been sitting only a few feet away.

"I don't understand it…" He shook his head and looked sadly at his plate, "She went completely bonkers on me!"

"Harry, Harry, Harry," I laughed putting my arm around his shoulder, "You're obviously not very skilled in the ways of women."

"Obviously…" Harry muttered throwing Cho an angry look.

"You were sort of tactless Harry." Hermione agreed.

"Well I'm sorry but what was I supposed to do?" He asked angrily. "She was the one that kept talking about how she used to come and snog Cedric in that stupid tea house!"

"You shouldn't have told her that you were going to meet me, that's why she tried to make you jealous." Hermione replied.

"Oh that's what she was doing?" Harry exclaimed. "Couldn't she have just asked if I liked you better or not?"

"Girls don't do that Harry," I said, "I mean…I would have…but most girls…especially girls like Cho…don't ask questions like that."

"Girls like Cho?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I mean…she's very nice." I said as I ate my breakfast, "But she's a clone."

"Whah dis dah men?" Ron asked through mouthfuls of French toast.

"It means," I told them putting down my silver wear, "That you could have picked out any other girl at that Ravenclaw table and they would have done the exact same thing…minus the Cedric part."

"How do you know?" Harry asked defensively.

"I've hung out with them Harry," I said, "I know a lot more than you do."

There was an awkward silence. Everyone suddenly became overly interested in whatever was on their plate (except for Ron who was overly interested in his plate already). I tilted my head a bit so I could get a good look at Harry to my right. His hair was untidy as usual and little strips of it were falling into his eyes. He was shifting his food around with his fork and staring angrily at his plate. His green eyes were narrowed and there as no trace of a smile on his face. After about five minutes of silence he looked up.

"How was Quidditch practice?" He asked.

"Terrible…" Ron said sadly.

"I'm sure it was fine." Hermione said sweetly.

"No," Ginny piped up, "It was horrible, I think Angelina cried."

Both Ginny and Ron left to take baths after dinner and Hermione, Harry, and I went up to the common room to get started on our homework. I was lying on the carpet on my stomach, quill hanging out of the side of my mouth reading and re-reading the same paragraph on catastrophe potions and laughing along with my friends.

"Hello," a voice whispered in my ear.

I jumped and knocked over my ink bottle. I turned around angrily to slap whoever had startled me, but my expression softened at the sight of George Weasley.

"Thanks a lot Weasley," I laughed. "Now I can't finish my homework."

"A tragedy I'm sure you'll get over," He smiled, "Can we talk?"

"Uh…sure…"I said, "What's up?"

He looked around the room, "I meant alone…"

"Sure!" I smiled. "Where do you wanna go?"

"Grab your cloak…cause I was thinking about sitting by the lake or something."

I ran upstairs to go get my cloak and was unpleasantly greeted by Parvati and Lavender giggling on their beds. Parvati's long hair was pulled up into an elaborate bun while Lavenders was pulled into a side ponytail. I cringed at the sounds of their high pitched giggles.

"OoooOOoo," Parvati squealed, "Addie!"

"Hi Parvati…" I muttered making my way quickly to my bed to grab my cloak and leave.

"What did _you_ do on Valentines Day?" She asked, "I didn't see you and George anywhere together."

"That's because we weren't anywhere together because I'm not dating George Weasley," I replied digging through my trunk.

"Don't lie to us…we're your friends," Parvati said. "What's going on between you and George."

I pulled my cloak out of my trunk and made my way back across the room, "Nothing is going on between me and George Weasley as of this moment."

"What about a few moments from now?" Lavender asked.

"Alright Parvati…alright Lavender," I sighed, "I'm going to tell you something I've wanted to tell you for a long time."

"What?" Their bug eyes widened as they leaned in so they wouldn't miss a word.

"Go to hell." I said, then turned on my heels and left the room.

xxx

George led me out to the lake. The moon shone brightly in the rippling water. It was cold, but I didn't mind at all. The grass was wet underneath my legs as I sat down. The stars were bright and if you looked at the right moment you could see one shoot across the sky.

"Make a wish." George whispered as a star began to fall.

I closed my eyes and wished, "Let me make the right decision."

"What did you wish?" He asked quietly.

"Can't tell you," I teased, "it might not come true."

He coiled his arm around me and I put my head on his shoulder. I looked out onto the black lake. The giant squid would come up every once in a while causing it to ripple. Everything about the night was perfect. I shifted my head to look up at George. He was smiling. George could take care of me, like Elliot had said. George would never hurt me, and I would be safe with George. My life would be simple and happy with him at my side.

Harry was mysterious, unpredictable, unstable, bad for me. If it was between me and his honor I wasn't sure which one he would choose. With Voldemort back Harry was a dangerous person to be around, and he doesn't seem to care whether he hurt me or not. It was common knowledge at Hogwarts that I had romantic feelings for Harry, but he didn't seem to care. He bought me all those stupid presents and then went off and dated Cho. I did not matter to Harry Potter, as much as I hated to admit it, I had always known.

"I'm sure you wondered where I was on Valentines Day." George said finally.

"Yeah, I did." I whispered.

"I was thinking," he turned to face me, "about you."

"And…where did all that thinking lead you?" I asked.

"This is it," He sighed, "This is the last time I'm going to be with you. I shouldn't have to chase you all over the place, or wait for an answer anymore. If you wanna be with me, tell me now and if you don't then…this is it."

This was it. This was the decision. That stupid star came through too soon. Thoughts rushed through my mind. Everything Elliot had said came flooding back. I remembered crying in the hall after Harry had asked Cho out. I thought about the music box Harry gave me. I thought about how shitty I felt every time he talked to Cho at D.A meetings. I thought about how he obviously didn't care. I thought over how he had been the reason for my tears for too long. I didn't want to cry anymore.

I took a deep breath, "I defiantly want to be with you."

George broke out into the biggest smile I had ever seen, "Really?"

"Really, really!" I laughed.

"WAHOO!" He thrust his fist into the air. "I WIN!"

"You win." I smiled.

xxx

The next day all of Hogwarts was talking about 'Addie and George'. It was as if there was nothing more important than what was going on in my life.

"Oh my gosh I totally knew!" I heard Parvati telling Hermione the next morning, "I mean she got so mad every time we talked about it!"

"Oh my gosh!" Lavender squealed. "Remember when we asked her and she got all mad?"

"Yeah" Parvati said, "She was obviously hiding something."

"Or maybe," Hermione said coolly, "She just didn't want you two knowing."

"Nah" Parvati said dismissively as she went downstairs, no doubt to tell more people.

Lee Jordan, Megan Kelly, and Fred Weasley ambushed me in the common room as soon as I came down the stairs.

"Finally!" Lee said slapping me on the back, "You're an honorary member of the group now."

"George nearly wet himself when he told me," Fred laughed, "You might want to watch out…his bladder tends to go when he gets too exited."

Megan took a large gulp from the flask that she was always carrying around, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

We all looked at her for a moment, shook our heads, and went back into conversation.

"Just so you know," Fred whispered, "George really is crazy about you."

"I know." I said.

"So if you…have feelings for someone else…you should sort it out now," Fred told me seriously, "Because it's not fair otherwise."

I knew what Fred was talking about, and I had every intention of talking to Harry about my feelings for him. I had every intention of sorting it out so that I could get on with my life. Really, I did, but as soon as we walked into the Great Hall I noticed that Harry, Hermione, and Ron were talking feverishly huddled together at the table. And I doubted that it was about George and I.

_The Quibbler_ had arrived, along with tons of hate letters and the occasional believer. We all laughed as we read some of the hate mail that Harry had received, and soon Fred and George joined in the fun.

I picked up a letter and read it out loud, "Dear Mr. Potter. You are quite obviously out of your mind. I think that you should go take a long stay at St. Mungo's. That or jump off a cliff. Signed, Phinneus Roberts."

"Well," I laughed, "He's a nice guy."

"Hello Mr. Potter," Professor Umbridge came up behind us, "What's all the commotion?"

"I did an interview," said Harry, "About the 'incident' last June."

Umbridge's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean."

"He means," I spat, "That a reporter asked him questions and he answered them. Hence him saying 'I did and interview' I thought he was quite clear."

"Obviously your mother's arrogance rubbed off on you," She said, "Twenty points from Gryffindor."

Umbridge snatched _the Quibbler_ out of Harry's hand and began to read, "When did you do this?"

"Hogsmede" Harry grunted.

"You'll never be allowed to go to Hogsmede again!" She shouted, "How dare you! Fifty points from Gryffindor and a weeks worth of detentions."

"For doing an interview?" I asked. "He didn't do anything wrong! You stupid hag! You're just mad because he beat you! And if you think that you're going to take him into your foul office and make him carve 'I will not tell lies' into his hand again without me reporting you you're sadly mistaken."

She turned around slowly, "I think it will do you some good to come to detention as well. Starting next week, so you and Potter aren't together."

She stalked away clutching _the Quibbler_ in her hands. Everyone in the room was staring at me. I had yelled at Umbridge. I had called her a hag. I had exposed her brutal punishments. I had gotten myself in more trouble than I had ever intended.

"Addie," George whispered, "I think you should sit down."

I looked around me, I was standing up, my hands were balled into fists at my sides. I slowly lowered myself into my chair and ate my breakfast as if nothing had happened.

To nobodies surprise Umbridge banned _The Quibbler_ from students possession, not that it did anything. It just made everyone want to read it more. The whole school was buzzing. I was being bombarded with questions. Between my relationship with George and my friendship with Harry I was one of the most sought after people on Hogwarts grounds.

Harry, George, and I were walking up to the common room when Cho Change shoved into me.

"Oh Harry!" She sobbed. "I'm so sorry! That was so brave of you…it made my cry!"

"Oh that's difficult." I whispered in George's ear who smiled.

"She's so annoying." He laughed as she pulled Harry down the hall coiling herself in his arm. Strangely enough, the jealousy wasn't that bad. It was there, but I didn't feel like crying or dating Draco Malfoy.

We entered Transfiguration and everyone turned to the doorway. The three most sought after people in Hogwarts were standing in the doorway. Harry looked down at the floor and made a motion to go take his seat. I turned to thank George for walking me to class and followed Harry to the back of the class.

For the first time since the beginning of the year I hated the way that people were staring at me. I was an object of much speculation nothing more. My feelings didn't matter to any of my classmates at that point. I knew the rumor that was going around. Everyone was talking about how 'I'm only dating George because Harry won't have me'. Everyone was either talking about me and George, me and Harry, me, or just Harry. It was insane.

They Slytherins were all sulking around the school talking in hushed voices. Harry had named all of their parents as Death Eaters, which was the truth, but the Slytherins were non-the-less distressed by the article. Then the thought hit me. What if Malfoy, out of spite, told everyone that I was with him on Valentines Day? Just to get back at me for dumping him, for going with George Weasley instead, and now that the article had come out, he's probably looking to do something malicious.

That night in the common room Fred and George had a 'Ministry are Morons' party with food they had gotten from Honeydukes. The only person who didn't enjoy this was Hermione, but at that point Hermione didn't really enjoy much of anything. She had been asked so many questions about the interview that her hair was standing on end (not that it didn't normally). All she wanted to do was her homework, but she ended up going to bed early because of all the noise in the common room.

I hung around with Fred, George, Lee, and Megan waiting for everyone to leave so we could take down the decorations. Megan kept insisting that she take down the large, poster sized, Quibbler cover that Fred and George had tacked to the wall.

"Now Megan," Fred said, "I don't mean to be harsh…but it seems that every time you touch anything…it breaks…"

"Or explodes." added George.

"Or catches fire." Lee piped up.

"Or injures someone." I sighed.

Fred put his hands on her shoulders and looked her dead in the eye, "Do you think you can handle taking down the poster?"

"Oh Fred," She laughed, "How hard can it be?"

As soon as Megan stepped onto the chair and reached up to take down the poster, she tripped. She ripped down the poster and along with it some of the wallpaper. The chair flew out from underneath her and fell into the fire but was quickly put out be Lee. She knocked over two tables, a lamp, and landed on a very angry Crookshanks.

After most of the mess had been straightened out we went to retrieve Megan who had, miraculously, flown across the room and landed near the portrait hole. We all bent down around her. Her face was in utter shock as she stared up at the ceiling, her mouth hanging open and her hands at her side.

"We gave you one job," Lee said, "One job…to take down the poster…and you nearly burned down the common room."

She looked around the room and held her head with one hand, after a few moments she looked at us and said, "We will never speak of this moment again."

Then she got up, I followed her to the dormitory, and we went to bed.

xxx

"Harry had another dream," Ron told me in a hushed voice when I came down for breakfast the next day, "Where he was You-Know-Who."

"Harry has a lot of these doesn't he?" I asked as we walked down to the Great Hall.

"Yeah," Ron sighed, "In this one we found out that the Bode guy, you know the one who was strangled by the plant, was under the Imperius curse. Also, some Avery guy gave You-Know-Who the wrong information so he had to punish him."

"That is endlessly exciting," I said sleepily, "But couldn't you have waited to tell me this when I was awake?"

"Addie…" Ron gasped, "This is important."

"I know I know," I waved my hand at him, "It's just…well…everyday there's some new important news about some new important something…don't you guys ever catch a break?"

Ron thought for a moment, "No," he said finally, "Not really…not at all."

There was a silent moment as we hurried down the stairs to breakfast. As he opened the door to the Great Hall he said, "I—I'm really h—happy for you a—and my brother. H—Harry didn't appreciate w—what he had—George does, please know that."

He entered the Hall before I could respond. As I sat down at the table Hermione was scolding Harry.

"You shouldn't be seeing these things!" She said. "You should be closing your mind!"

"I know…" He muttered.

"You should forget everything you saw," She instructed, "And work harder at Occlumency."

Harry sulked for the rest of the day. The Gryffindor Quidditch team was doing terribly and you could tell that Harry was just dying to play. His potions grades were still terrible, and Slytherins were threatening him in the hallway. I didn't have time to worry about Harry Potter's bad day, when I was having one of my own.

It was a rare occasion that I was alone while I walked to class, and every time that I am something bad happens to me, so I should have been on the lookout as I made my way down to the potions dungeon that afternoon. As I walked I heard hushed whisperings behind me. I had gotten used to people talking about me so I just kept walking.

"Hey Addie!" A girls voice called. "Can we talk?"

I turned around to see Cho Chang smiling at me. There was something wrong with the way she looked. Her smile was more fake than genuine and her friends were all glaring at me angrily.

"Err…Sure…" I replied looking around.

"Good…" She said in the same sickeningly sweet voice as Professor Umbridge.

She pulled me off to a far corner and I saw her friends begin to whisper again.

"I know what you're up to," She said angrily, "And it's not going to work."

"Cho…" I said trying to stifle a laugh, "What are you talking about?"

"You think everyone's just forgotten about you being at that You-Know-Who supporter's concert but I haven't!" She cried.

"Uhh…okay?" I raised my eyebrow. "But it wasn't a You-Know-Who supporter's concert."

"You're a Death Eater!" She yelled shoving her finger in my face, "I saw you at Madame Puddifoot's with Draco Malfoy! You went to that concert! You just show up out of the blue at the same time as His return! It all fits you're a Death Eater and you're trying to kill Harry!"

By now enough people had accumulated in the hallway that Cho and I were surrounded by a circle of interested students, at the front of this circle were Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Cho," I said plainly, "You've lost your mind."

"OH I HAVE?" She yelled. "WELL DID YOU EVER TELL THEM THAT YOU WERE GOING OUT WITH MALFOY ON VALENTINE'S DAY?"

I looked out into the crowd; there were George, Harry, Ron, and Hermione looking at me for an answer.

"No," I replied, "It never came up!"

"SEE HARRY!" She cried. "She's a Death Eater I know it!"

That was when I snapped. Cho had probably ruined my relationship with George, my friendships with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and on top of all of that accused me of being a Death Eater.

"That's it," I said, "I've had enough of your stupid crying. You're self pity. The way you toy with Harry. I'm sick of you and your stupid clone friends and how you're all the same person in different bodies. I'm sick of you."

"What are you going to do about it?" She asked stepping closer to me.

"This," I spat. And that's when I hit Cho Chang, right between her stupid eyes.

Harry rushed in to pull Cho away and George restrained me. Teachers came rushing out and we were both sent to the hospital wing. When I had my back turned Cho tried to curse me but just ended up melting my shoes to the floor so I lit her hair on fire and Flitwick had to put it out with his wand.

The hospital wing wasn't that bad, and on top of Umbridge's detentions the next week I had two weeks with McGonagall. Cho's friends would come in to visit her in the hospital wing and give me dirty looks, but I didn't care. The worst visit I got came from George Weasley later that day.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He said quietly.

"Because I knew how you would react," I replied. "I didn't stay with him…it was a mistake…and error in judgment."

"An error in judgment?" He cried. "He hates my family! He hates Harry! Hermione! Everyone you care about! His dad is a Death Eater!"

"I just thought…that maybe…I could change him back to the kid I knew when I was little. I was wrong. I know that now."

"Do you promise never to lie to me again?" He asked taking my hand. "I can't do this if you're going to lie to me."

"I promise." I said quietly.

A slight smile appeared on his face and he said, "Let's get you out of here."

As soon as I had checked out of the Hospital wing and we stepped out into the corridor, I heard a woman scream. We both rushed around the corner to see Professor Trelawney sinking to the floor of the hallway, sobbing uncontrollably.

"FIRED!" She cried. "FIRED AFTER SIXTEEN YEARS OF SERVICE!"

Professor McGonagall was trying to help her but Trelawney was inconsolable. Umbridge was smiling widely as she watched the whole scene from a few feet away. She had no compassion for poor Trelawney at all, I could have punched face in, but I had enough fights for one day.

"Don't worry," McGonagall said, "You don't have to leave Hogwarts."

Suddenly Umbridge's smile vanished, "And what makes you think that?"

"I said so." Dumbledore appeared out of the oak front doors. I looked up at him. We had only talked a few times about my placement into the school. He was so mysterious, impressive, the ultimate figure of authority. He was someone that I could respect, and that was saying a lot. I felt myself want to straighten up whenever he looked at me, so I could impress him the way that he impressed me. His blue eyes twinkled as a sly smile spread across his face.

"Professor Dumbledore," Umbridge laughed, "You don't seem to understand. If I say she is fired, she is fired."

"Well…fired yes," Dumbledore laughed, "But she can live here if she chooses."

"N—no" Trelawney cried, "I—I'll go—"

"I insist you stay," He smiled. "Please bring your things upstairs."

"What are you going to do when I appoint a new Divination teacher to stay in her place?" Umbridge asked.

"Oh there is no need," Dumbledore laughed. "I've found a replacement."

"What!" She cried. "Y—You can't!"

"Ah but you'll find that I can," He replied calmly. "As long as I've found a replacement the Ministry does not need to get involved."

"And who," She asked, "is this mystery replacement?"

"Ah!" He said, "How silly of me! Firenze come here!"

What happened next none of us were expecting. Instead of a man or a woman coming into the room. In strode, well, in galloped, a centaur. An attractive male centaur, but a centaur none-the-less. Umbridge looked thunderstruck as he bowed to her, "How do you do?"

She didn't answer, just stalked off up the hallway. Dumbledore smiled as she walked away, her eyes twinkling, "Don't you students have a classroom to be in?" He asked still smiling, "We don't want to keep you."

I walked up to the common room with George dreading every step, knowing the closer I got to the Gryffindor tower, the closer I got to facing Harry, Ron, and Hermione.


	18. You're Amazing

"I can't believe you!" Hermione shrieked. "You went out with MALFOY and you didn't even tell us!"

"I'm sorry…" I murmured, "But I knew that you'd hate me for it."

"We wouldn't have hated you!" Harry yelled. "We would have been mad, yeah, but at least you would have been honest!"

"How could you betray us like that?" Ron shouted. "How could you go with—with HIM!"

"I'm sorry!" I pleaded. "You have no idea how sorry I am. I'm sorry about everything. I'm sorry for lying. I'm sorry for saying yes in the first place. I'm sorry for ever being associated with Draco Malfoy!"

"You should be!" Hermione spat, "What ever made you consider dating that—that—DEATH EATER?"

I looked up at them. I could see my reflection in the windows. My face was streaked with tears and my hair was falling out of the loose pony-tail it had been in moments ago. I felt my body quiver as I saw the way that Harry and Ron were staring at me. Hermione wouldn't even look at me, she was too angry. I felt my knees about to give way. George was at the other side of the room looking on me with pity. He was the only one who actually forgave me. If I told them the real reason that I had accepted Draco's offer, because I was upset about Harry, then I would lose George too.

"I—I was upset—" I said hoping that would be enough.

"About what?" Harry asked. "What could possibly make you sad enough to date MALFOY?"

I looked up, but only for a moment. I made eye contact with Hermione and then my eyes shot to the ground.

"I—It was the whole Sirius dad thing…" I crossed my arms across my chest, I was lying again, "I had a b—breakdown in the middle of the hall—Malfoy found me—and one thing led to another—"

"Look," Harry said, "I understand. You were in a vulnerable place and he took advantage of that. From now on though, you need to be honest, the way we would be honest with you."

"I—I understand—" I looked up at them, Harry was smiling slightly and so were the rest of them. They had forgiven me, even though I didn't deserve it.

"Now…" Harry laughed, "What about you hitting my love interest?"

I wiped the tears out of my eyes and laughed, "Your love interest is out of her mind."

"You know if you keep treating my potential girlfriends like this you're going to scare them all away." He smirked.

"Don't flatter me Harry!" I teased. "You have your personality to do that!"

"Cold," Ron shook his head, "Ice cold…"

Hermione's arms were still folded across her chest and she was looking down at the ground. She hadn't said a word since I had explained me reasoning for dating Malfoy. I had a feeling that she knew I had lied again.

"Look," She said after a moment, "I'm going to bed."

She turned on her heels and stormed up the stairs. I watched her go and knew what I had to do.

"I think I'm gonna go too…" I muttered, "'Night guys, 'night George."

"'Night Adds," George responded, "Sweet dreams."

"You too." I smiled, and then followed Hermione up to the dormitory.

I quietly knocked on the door and peered around the corner. Hermione was lying on her bed looking up at the ceiling. She ran her hand through her hair and turned to look at me. Her eyes narrowed and she ran her hand through her hair again. She sat up in her spot and said, "They forgave you so easily."

"I know," I agreed, "I didn't deserve what they did down there. I know that—please Hermione—"

She held her hand up to stop me, "No," she said, "It's not you, it's just…well…whenever they got mad at me…they took forever to forgive me."

Her eyes were so hurt, thoughtful, but hurt. She hugged her knees up to her chest and her eyes darted toward the ground. I had always admired Hermione. She was a strong woman. She was determined, and smart, and she never needed to use her sexuality to get what she wanted. She was prettier than most people gave her credit for. Her eyes were an icy blue. She had soft features and a bright smile. I was surprised more people hadn't noticed it. Though I had the striking suspicion that Ron harbored more than friendly feelings for Hermione, I could never really be sure.

He got very clammy whenever she was around and he would always try to smooth out his shirt. Whenever she looked at him his eyes darted toward the floor and if she ever spoke of Victor Krum he would get very angry and leave the room. Hermione, on the other hand, didn't seem to respond to any of this, but it was cute none-the-less.

"When we first came to Hogwarts," Hermione began, "they didn't even like me. It took ages for us to be friends, and whenever I do anything that they think is wrong it takes days for them to forgive me. Harry and Ron fought last year and it took THEM a long time to forgive each other…but you…you say sorry and one two three apology accepted."

"I can't really tell you why that is…"

"Oh but I can tell you!" Hermione exclaimed, "Harry is so stupid!"

"Uhh…okay?" I said. "It was stupid of him to accept my apology but…"

"No! No! No!" She waved her hand at me. "Not stupid for accepting your apology stupid for not realizing that he's obviously in love with you!"

The words took me by surprise. Obviously in love with me? Harry? No way! Harry had never shown any sign of liking me. He didn't get all funny around me the way he did Cho. Everyone knows that I liked him and he never took advantage of that. And besides, if he did like me it was too late, I was with George now, and that's how it was going to stay.

"Harry isn't in love with me," I stated. "Harry is in love with Cho. You know that."

"Harry _likes_ Cho," Hermione said. "But not nearly as much as he likes you."

"Hermione WHAT are you talking about?" I laughed.

"The way that Harry looks at you," Hermione said in a very business-like manner, "The way he looks at you, and how he worried himself silly over what to get you for Christmas. How he's been sulking around the castle ever since he found out that you were with George. And now this…the way he forgave you…the way he always forgives you."

"Harry doesn't always forgive me!" I exclaimed. "It was only this once!"

"Pfft!" She waved her hand at me again, "You're the only person in this world who's allowed to criticize Harry Potter the way you do. If anyone else told him that he was a drama queen, or to stop sulking, he would have a fit. You've seen how mad he gets and Ron and I! If we said anything like that he would never speak to us again! But you…you're different…"

"I AM NOT!" I yelled. "Harry Potter has never liked me. No matter what you say. And besides that doesn't even matter because I'm with George now!"

"Yes, yes I know," Hermione smiled. "But I don't think you'd be getting so upset about this if you didn't at least _want_ it to be true…which it is…goodnight."

Hermione clicked off the light and turned over in her bed. I stood in my spot for a moment then stalked off toward my bed. How dare she say I like Harry! I'm with George! George! George! George! I dressed in the dark and threw myself under the covers. I spent at least five minutes getting into a comfortable position, but I had disrupted sleep all night. Hermione's words kept ringing through my head.

_He's obviously in love with you…_

xxx

I woke up the next morning after about five minutes of actual sleep to the high pitched giggles of Parvati Patil. I opened my eyes and my head started spinning. A throbbing headache set in immediately and all I wanted was to go back to sleep.

"I bet you're sad you gave up Divination now Hermione!" Parvati squealed.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Because of that GORGEOUS Firenze we have teaching us now!" Lavender shrieked. "He's amazing."

I sat up in my bed trying to take in what I had just heard. As if Lavender and Parvati weren't annoying enough, now they had a crush on our Divination teacher. I could only imagine them in class squealing every time he moved, getting giggly when he called on them in class, and always offering to volunteer. It made my headache worse.

"Oooooh Addie!" Parvati cooed. "Don't you think that Firenze is just the cutest thing you've ever seen?"

"Parvati," I said groggily, wiping the sleep out of my eyes, "he's a horse."

"He's a centaur!" Lavender protested. "A gorgeous, buff, male centaur."

"Lavender…" I laughed, "He's not your type…in fact…he's not your phylum, genus, or SPECIES."

"So?" She asked placing her hands on her hips and cocking her head to one side.

Hermione and I exchanged strange glances. I raised my eyebrow and said, "That's disgusting."

xxx

I dressed sleepily and stumbled down the stairs into the common room. George was sitting by the fire playing modified exploding snap with Fred. Modified exploding snap consisted of throwing the exploding card at your opponent and whoever ended the game with both their eyebrows won.

"George Weasley!" I said. "If you blow your face off I'll never speak to you again!"

"Oh but that just-hit-by-a-bus look is so in this season!" He laughed, throwing one last card at Fred and coming over to greet me.

"Sleep well?" He asked taking my hand.

"Just about as well as you and Filtch get along." I smirked.

"Around two minutes and thirty seven seconds then." He laughed.

"Two minutes and thirty seven seconds?" I asked, "Where did that come from?"

"I like that number…two thirty seven…" He replied, dodging an exploding card Fred had thrown our way.

"Uhh…why?" I asked.

George took a deep breath, "I haven't the faintest idea."

"I LIKE THE NUMBER NEGATIVE POINT FIVE!" Megan called, bouncing down the stairs, "And I know why too!"

"Why Megan?" I smiled.

"Because it rhymes with my name." She smiled proudly.

It took Fred, George, and I a moment to process what she had just said. George just grabbed my hand and looked at her sadly while I buried my head in his shoulder. Fred got up from his chair and walked over toward her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and said, "Megan…dear…negative point five…does not rhyme…with Megan."

"Oh," she said thoughtfully, "I guess I'll have to change it to twelve then."

I opened my mouth to correct her again but Fred just shook his head, "Why don't you go and save us some seats in the Great Hall?"

"Okay!" She said happily and bounced out of the common room.

"Do you know why she's so—"

Fred shook his head again, "No…no I do not…"

xxx

I slept through every one of my classes leading up to Divination. I winced as Parvati and Lavender shoved by, giggling and whispering frantically, no doubt about some sort of plan they had to seduce Firenze.

"We're in classroom eleven now," Harry said as we turned down and unfamiliar hallway, "It's over here."

As we entered the class I felt the urge to practice my sanitation spell. At Frenze's request the room had been decorated to look like the dark forest. There was moss growing on the floor and trees were growing out of the ground. We were asked to sit on either a tree trunk or a boulder and I almost burst into tears as I wiped a worm off my boulder and sat down.

"This," I said, "Will never do."

"Hello Addie" Megan said dreamily, "How are you?"

"Megan…you're not in Divination…" I said.

"Yes I am," She told me, "I just never came before…"

"Why did you decide to come now?" I asked. "So late in the year?"

"I've always had a thing for ponies," She said plainly. "And I heard that our new teacher was a pony."

"He's a centaur Megan…not a pony…." I told her motioning to Firenze at the front of the room.

She looked up and took a moment to analyze our teacher. After a few seconds she said, "He looks like a pony to me."

"Whatever you say." I sighed.

When the last student had arrived Firenze spoke to the class, "I would have liked to have the class in the Forbidden Forest, but sadly that cannot happen."

Parvati raised a shaky hand, "Why not?"

"My herd banished me." He said sadly.

"Ohhhh" Parvati and Lavender whimpered in unison, "That's TERRIBLE."

"Poor Pony," Megan sympathized, "No pony fun for him."

"Yeah Megan," I laughed, "poor pony."

We worked on Astrology for most of the class. Ron and Harry struggled to find out what the three stars above their heads were telling us. At one point Ron guessed that it meant that muffins would learn to dance and that was the point where Firenze moved on to the next person. We went through the class having people fake predictions and having Firenze tell them that they were still 'thinking like humans' and to sit down. I stood up, told the class I thought that the stars were telling me to buy new shoes, sat down, and waited for Megan's turn.

She looked up toward the sky and thought for a moment. She squinted her pretty blue eyes and cocked her head to one side. She pointed to one of the stars above her and said, "That blinking one means 'change is coming'" She said, "And the placement of the next star in accordance to the blinking one means 'danger'"

The whole class turned around to look at Megan. I had never heard her say anything that made much sense, and I doubted anyone else had either. We all turned to see Firenze's reaction and to our surprise he was smiling, "Finally, someone who can look past the bubble of the present."

"Huh?" Megan grunted.

"You did well." Firenze motioned for her to sit down.

"Thanks pony." She smiled and took her seat.

After class I caught up with Megan.

"Where did you learn to do that?" I asked.

"Learn to do what?" She asked throwing her bag over her shoulder.

"Read the stars!" I said, "How did you know?"

She looked up for a moment, and scrunched up her nose in thought, "I don't think about it…I just know."

"That is the coolest thing I've ever heard." I laughed.

"Oh," She said, "There's something I've been meaning to tell you."

"What?" I asked, "Uhh…I had this weird dream…and a lot of times the dreams I have…they come true…so I'm just gonna tell you now…let him down easy."

"Let who down easy?" I asked.

"Harry Potter," She replied, "When George gives you the letter. Let Harry down easy."

"What are you talking about?" I asked her half laughing, half serious.

"I don't know," Megan replied, "But when George gives you the letter. Let Harry down easy."

xxx

We had our first D.A meeting since my 'Cho Chang' incident that night and I walked with George up to the room of requirement like I always had. What Megan had said had stuck in my mind the whole day, but I decided not to dwell on it. I had much more important things to think about. Like what I was going to do when Cho showed up at the D.A meeting, if she showed up.

Sure enough as I entered the room there was Cho giggling in Harry's ear. She looked angrily at me as I entered the room. I couldn't help but burst out into laughter at the sight of her. There was a dark blue circle around her eye where I punched her and a Band-Aid on her nose.

"Wow," George laughed, "You really messed her up."

"She was already messed up," I scowled, "I was just making her face match her inside."

George laughed and we took seats on the other end of the room and began working on Patronus'. After many nights of trying my Patronus had taken the shape of a flamingo.

"That's pretty fierce," George laughed. "I think my bunny slippers just ran for cover."

"Shut up Weasley!" I laughed. "I would like to remind you that yours took the shape of an otter."

George pressed his finger to his lips, "We will not speak of such things."

Suddenly the door swung open and a small house elf entered. He was wearing two different socks and disgusting plaid trousers. I knew in an instant who he was…Dobby. He ran toward Harry breathing hard and tugged on his robes.

"Harry Potter sir!" He cried in a high pitched voice, "Dobby is here to warn you!"

"Warn me about what?" Harry asked. "What's going on Dobby?"

"Harry Potter…sir…she…she…she told us not to tell but she…"

"WHO Dobby?" Harry shook him.

The elf began to tug on his ears hard, "She…"

"Umbridge?" Harry asked.

Dobby nodded then banged his head again the nearby drawers.

"What about her Dobby? Has she found out about us?" He asked urgently.

Dobby's eyes told it all. Umbridge had found us. She knew we were here.

"Is she coming?" Harry shook Dobby again.

"Yes Harry Potter! Yes!" Then Dobby began to bang his feet on the floor. "She's coming."

We all stood still for a moment then Harry screamed, "RUN!"

We all ran toward the exit. George tried to keep hold of my hand but we lost each other in the rush of people going for the door. Harry said something to Dobby and then ran toward the door. As soon as I ran out into the hall I saw him. Draco Malfoy. Staring at me with his cold eyes, a sneer spread across his pale face as he pointed his wand at me, "_PETRIFICUS TOTALIS_!"

My whole body went rigid. I could hear, see, and feel everything around me but I could talk or move. Malfoy came toward me, "Choosing a Weasley over a Malfoy. How could you?"

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Harry running out of the door, "_FALLIS_!" Malfoy screamed and Harry fell to the ground, "Trip jinx Potter!" Malfoy laughed, "Professor I've got two!"

Umbridge rounded the corner and her toad-like smile widened, "I should have known. You run along and see if you can get anymore Draco."

Umbridge pointed her wand under my chin and said, "_Remobulum_" I felt my whole body go limp and I fell to the floor.

"Get up," She spat. "You too Potter, we're going to see the Headmaster."

We walked in silence to Dumbledore's office. We approached a smiling stone gargoyle Umbridge said, "Fizzing Whizbe" and the gargoyle moved to let us pass. Harry and I entered Dumbleore's circular office we saw that it was full of people, the Headmaster behind his desk smiling at us, Professor McGonagall looking solemnly behind him. The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, was sitting in an arm chair looking a little bit too happy. A man who my mother had had over on numerous occasions, Kingsley Shacklebolt, stood near one wall along with a very intimidating wizard I didn't know. The next person took me quite by surprise. He was tall and lanky with fiery red hair and freckles. He looked very pompous and professional but this was no doubt, another Weasley brother.

"Well, well, well," The Minister said, "No surprises here."

"The Malfoy boy cornered them." Umbridge said happily.

"I'll remember to tell Lucius…so do you two know why you're here?" Cornelius Fudge asked.

I opened my mouth to speak but Harry did first. "No"

"What?" Fudge asked. "You don't know?"

"Nope" Harry said firmly.

"What about you?" He asked me. "Do you know why you're here?"

"Not a clue really." I smiled.

"You are not aware of any broken school rules?" He asked angrily.

"School rules?" I asked. "Harry…did we break any rules?"

"Can't think of any." He said pensively.

I took a deep breath and straightened my back. I had no problem to lying to any of these people. It was Harry that I was worried about. He was wringing his hands nervously and tugging on the collar of his shirt. I wanted to tell him that I would be right there with him, and that we were in this together, but I couldn't say anything, so I just looked at him and gave him a slight smile. I saw his body relax a little bit and I turned back to face the Minister.

"So you had no idea that an illegal student organization has been discovered?" Fudge demanded.

"Pretty much." I said.

"Same here." said Harry blandly.

"I think," Umbridge said silkily, "We should bring out our informant."

"Yes," Fudge agreed, "Nothing like a good witness…correct Dumbledore?"

"Of course." The headmaster nodded.

The door opened a few moments later and in walked Marietta, Cho's stupid friend with the ugly hair. She nervously squeezed the fat on her arms together as she shuffled into the room.

"Don't be scared," Umbridge cooed, "You did the right thing. Your mother would be proud. She's helping us watch the Hogwarts fires isn't she? Working with the Flu Powder Network?"

Marietta nodded her fat head. I wanted to hit her. Kill her for telling on us. I wanted revenge, but apparently someone else already had.

As Marietta lifted her face to the room we all gasped. Her face was covered in big purple pimples about the size of a Muggle dime and they all formed the word 'Sneak' across her face.

"Now tell the Minister what you told me…" Umbridge instructed.

Marietta looked at me, whimpered, and pulled her robes up over her head.

"Nobody is going to hurt you," Umbridge assured her, "Now tell the minister…"

Marietta gave a muffled cry and shook her head.

"Oh fine I'll do it!" Umbridge cried, "Miss Edgecombe told me after dinner tonight that if I went to the Room of Requirement on the third floor that I would find something of use to me. I asked her some questions and she told me that there was a meeting there and then the hex came into affect and she refused to tell me any more."

"Now dear," Fudge said, "Please tell me what happened at this meeting…you're a very brave girl."

I stifled a cough.

Marietta refused to speak. She just shook her head again and buried her face in her robes.

"Have we been able to find a counter jinx for this yet?" Fudge asked. "So she can speak?"

"No," Umbridge pursed her lips together, "We have not."

Harry and I exchanged knowing glances, the both of us feeling immensely proud of Hermione's jinx.

"It doesn't matter," Umbridge assured them, "Do you remember when I said that Potter had met a large group of students in Hogsmede Minister?"

"How do you know that?" McGonagall cut in.

"Testimony from Willy Widdershins, who was at the bar that day. He heard every word Potter said and told me immediately."

I coughed again.

"YES Miss White?" Umbridge rounded on me.

"It's just interesting," I said sweetly, "That he didn't get any punishment for the regurgitating toilets he placed all over the place…good to finally understand how our justice system works."

Umbridge ignored me, "Potters purpose was to persuade them to join an illegal society that would teach them spells the Ministry has deemed inappropriate!"

"I'm afraid you're mistaken there Dolores." Dumbledore said softly.

"Oh yes!" Fudge said bouncing up in his chair. "Let's hear another fabrication used to pull Potter and his friends out of trouble. What is it this time Dumbledore? Potter's twin? The Imperius curse? Or is it a reversal of time and a dead mans return to life again? Some dementors perhaps?"

The Weasley boy (whose name I couldn't remember) laughed.

Dumbledore just continued to smile, "No, of course not. Neither Harry, nor Addie, nor I deny that meeting in the Hogs Head nor do we deny its purpose. I am just pointing out that at the time of the meeting they were doing nothing illegal since the decree came out after that particular date."

What-ever-his-name-was Weasley choked on his latest round of laughs, and Fudge's mouth hung open rudely.

"Well that's very nice Headmaster," Umbridge said, "But now as of right now his participation in such a society is illegal."

"Well it would," Dumbledore said, "If they had ever met after the decree came into effect. What evidence do we have that this society continued?"

"Evidence?" Umbridge repeated, "What bout Miss Edgecomb's testimony?"

"Oh but I was under the impression that she only spoke of one meeting tonight." He said calmly, "Not six months worth of meetings."

"How long have these meetings been happening Miss Edgecomb?" Umbridge asked.

I stared at Marietta. Daring her with my eyes to reveal any more information about the D.A. Making it very clear with my face the consequences of her telling.

"Just shake your head dear," Umbridge said, "Have they been going one for six months?"

Everyone looked at Marietta, awaiting her answer. Her eyes looked strange. They were blank. I tried to make eye contact with her again but she wasn't looking at me. Slowly but surely, Marietta shook her head no.

Umbridge looked around the room then back at Marietta, "I don't think you understood the question. Have these meetings been going on for the past six months?"

Marietta shook her head once more.

Umbridge had a fit. She asked the question over and over again and over and over again Marietta shook her head. At one point she began shaking Marietta so violently that Professor McGonagall had to pull her away. After a moment Umbridge recovered and asked, "But there was a meeting tonight wasn't there?"

Marietta shook her head. I was shocked. What was she doing? Why? She had already told on us. I was already going to kill her. What was wrong with Marietta?

"BUT YOU SAID THERE WAS!" Umbridge shrieked. "YOU TOLD ME ABOUT THE MEETING YOU TOLD ME!"

"Dolores!" Kingsley Shacklebolt rushed forward. "Dolores calm down!"

I had to stifle laughter as Umbridge sunk into the nearest chair. Marietta still had the same blank look in her eye and had no reaction to Umbridge's outburst what so ever. They proceeded to talk about the meeting and how Umbridge had found us. Then she pulled out the list of members.

"Ah and look what they called themselves," Fudge gave a hollow laugh, "Dumbledore's Army."

"Well," Dumbledore said standing up, "Now you know."

"Now I know what?" The minister asked.

"I organized this group, not Potter." Dumbledore announced, "Tonight was the first meeting. Unfortunately I now know it was a mistake to invite Miss Edgecombe but…alas…I shall be more selective next time."

"YOU'VE BEEN PLOTTING AGAINST ME!" Fudge yelled. "ALL THIS TIME."

"That's righ,." Dumbledore agreed, "All I've ever wanted is to be the Minister of Magic."

"NO!" Harry screamed.

I ribbed Harry in the side. It was obvious what Dumbledore was doing. He was getting us out of trouble by taking the blame. Harry would ruin it if he kept talking.

_He can be so dumb. _I thought.

"Shut up!" I whispered.

"I came here to expel Potter and Miss White over here," Fudge said, "But now I get to arrest you!"

Fudge was glowing with happiness. He skipped over to Tall and Weird Looking Weasley and practically sung, "Did you write that all down Weasley?"

"Yes sir!" The Weasley boy said promptly.

"Now you'll come with me Dumbledore. You'll await trial in Azkaban…"

"Ah I thought you might try this." Dumbledore said.

"Well of course!" Fudge said. "Let's go."

"I am not going anywhere," Dumbledore said softly, "I could break out of Azkaban if I chose but…it's much too much trouble so I think I'll just stay."

Dumbledore laughed as one of the guards by the door tried to pull his wand out of his pocket.

"Oh I wouldn't do that if I were you," The headmaster said. "Then I'd have to hurt you."

"So you're going to take on all of us single handed are you?" Fudge sneered.

"Only if necessary." Dumbledore replied.

"GET DUMLEDORE NOW!" Fudge called.

Then in a flash of light and a loud bang I felt someone pulling me to the floor alongside Harry. There was the screeching of a bird, the yelling of paintings, and the angry "NO!" if Cornelius Fudge and then there was calm.

Dumbledore and McGonagall were standing over Harry and I as the dust cleared. Everyone lay motionless on the floor.

"I had to hex them all." He said sadly, "They couldn't know of Kingsley's involvement with me. It was very good of him to modify Miss Edgecomb's mind while everyone was looking away."

"Now I must leave…"

"Where?" McGonagall whispered, "To stay with Sirius?"

"Oh no," He smiled, "I have a feeling Fudge will soon wish he had never made me leave."

"Professor…"Harry said from next to me.

"Harry, Addie, listen to me…I must do this…and Harry you must learn to close your mind. Practice everything Snape teaches you…remember…"

Then in a flash, Dumbledore and his phoenix had disappeared.

Harry and I were both dismissed to bed and we walked up to the common room in silence. As we approached the portrait hole I turned and looked at Harry, "Well that was eventful…" I laughed.

"You're amazing…" Harry whispered, "You…really are…"


	19. Almost Romantic Encounter

I spun around to face Harry, unsure of how to reply. Why was he saying that to me? After all this time, now that I'm dating George, he finally thinks I'm amazing. My heart jumped up into my throat and I felt like I was spinning. I didn't want to do this. I couldn't do this. I was with George. George was good to me. George cared about me. George….George….George….George….

"I—I mean the way you handled yourself in there—w—was—really—" Harry stammered, "Y—you weren't sc—scared or anything—"

"Thanks Potter," I said muttering the password then climbing into the portrait hole. "Goodnight."

He didn't come in though; he stayed outside for a very long time. I lay in my bed straining my ears to hear him come in, but I never did. Slowly I drifted off to sleep and for a short time forgot all about Harry Potter, George Weasley, or Megan Kelly. There was nothing like a quiet, dreamless, sleep to get you ready for the day ahead.

I woke up the next morning and put my hand to my head. I couldn't quite remember why I was feeling so nervous. For those first few seconds of consciousness I didn't remember my third almost-romantic-encounter with Harry Potter. I didn't remember that I almost got expelled the night before, or that Dumbledore was gone. What Megan had told me in the hall never crossed my mind, and I didn't try to think of its meaning. As soon as I opened my eyes, however, all the memories came flooding back to me and all I wanted to do was fall right back asleep again.

There was only one thing being talked about at Hogwarts that day: Dumbledore's flight which left Dolores Umbridge as the new Headmaster of Hogwarts. Rumors were flying and I was surprised at how many people knew their facts. They knew that Harry, Marietta, and I were the only students in the room at the time so I was constantly being harassed for information.

"Is it true that Dumbledore turned Fudge into a cake?" One second year girl asked me.

"I heard that Umbridge tried to perform and Unforgivable Curse on him!"

"Were there any fist fights?"

"Did anyone die?"

"Come on Addie! Tell us what happened!"

By the end of Herbology I was sick and tired of being asked any questions about my involvement in the whole ordeal. I just wanted to crawl back into my bed and go to sleep. George had picked up on the fact that I was irritated and spent the whole day trying to make me feel better. Unfortunately, putting fireworks in my book bag did little for my mood, even if they did say "Don't be sad" right before the blew up in my face.

I followed Ernie Macmillan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione out of Herbology. They were, of course, talking about what had happened the night before and I was trying my best to stay out of the conversation. I was so sick of my life at that point. Every word that anyone said was always of the utmost importance. Nobody had any fun, except for George, but George wasn't there.

Harry kept turning around and looking about me with that same stupid stare he used to give me when we first met. He did it all through class and during meals. That stupid stare, I hated it! I dragged my feet all the way to the way to the entrance hall when Harry turned around again. I was tired. I was confused. I was angry. I was harassed. I had just found another firework in my book bag. I was done with Harry Potter and his stupid stare.

I reached out and took Harry's glasses.

"ADDIE!" Hermione scolded. "Why did you do that?"

"He keeps doing that annoying 'stare at Addie' thing!" I said holding the glasses above my head. "He can't stare at me if he can't see!"

"Addie give them back!" Harry demanded, grabbing the air. "I can't see a bloody thing!"

"Promise not to stare at me Potter!" I exclaimed jumping away from Ron who was also trying to rescue the glasses. "Promise and I'll give them back!"

"Never!" He screamed, lunging at me. I dove out of his way but he was too quick and snatched the glasses out of my hand knocking us both into a giant puddle of mud.

He quickly put the glasses back on and smiled, "One hundred and fifty points to Potter. I win."

I looked around. Every inch of me was covered in mud. Harry was laughing harder than I had ever seen him laugh before. My heart jumped into my throat. Harry looked so nice when he laughed. His eyes were sparkling and the sound of his voice was so nice.

_He should laugh more often_. I thought.

"This is funny Potter?" I smiled. "Lets see how funny it is with you're face full of dirt!"

"Oh no you don't!" He cried scrambling to his feet.

I grasped a big wad of mud in my hand and flung it as hard as I could at Harry, who wasn't paying attention so it hit him square in the face. He made a move to throw some more mud at me but then….

"What's going on here?"

Draco Malfoy was standing behind us tapping his foot and smiling maliciously.

"My God Addie your really have sunk to the bottom." He looked me up and down.

I ran my hand through my mud-caked hair and laughed, "I think this look works for me."

"I'm going to have to dock some points off Gryffindor for this." He sneered.

"You can't dock points Malfoy!" Ernie protested. "Only teachers can do that! You're just a prefect!"

"Yeah so shove off Malfoy!" Ron snarled.

"That's another ten points from Gryffindor and from Hufflepuff for you two being ignorant to change." Malfoy laughed, "I'm a member of the Inquisitorial squad which means—"

"The what?" Hermione asked.

"The inquisitorial squad is a group of students who are supportive of the Ministry of Magic picked by Dolores Umbridge. Inquisitorial squad members _can _ take off points so I'll take off five for you speaking to me, then there's ten off Addie for associating with you and throwing mud, ten for Potter because he through mud at my love interest…actually make it fifteen because I don't like you Potter. Weasel-bee's shirt is untucked so I'll take off five…ten off Hufflepuff for contradicting me Mamillian…and then there's another ten off Gryffindor because Granger's a mudblood."

Malfoy made a move to walk away but I couldn't let him finish that easily, "DRACO ALGERNON MALFOY YOU COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"

I saw him wince, "Don't use my middle name."

I looked at my friends who were all stifling laughter.

I stalked across the field towards him, "Why do you have to be such an insufferable jerk Draco?"

"Because I can be Addie-poo," He sneered. "Now I'm sure we could come up with some sort of arrangement that would make me give those points back."

"Like what?" I spat.

"Oh nothing," He said coolly, "just dump the Weasel twin, ditch these fools, and come and be with me…nothing that wouldn't benefit you in the long run…"

"I would rather be eaten by an acromantula you foul, disgusting, sad excuse for a wizard!"

"Detention Addie," He smiled, "And it will be my detention, seven o'clock I'll tell Umbridge."

"YOU CAN'T ASSIGN ME DETENTION WITH YOU!" I cried after him.

He pointed at the badge on his robes, "Inquisitorial squad Addie…inquisitorial squad…"

xxx

"HE DID WHAT?" George cried as I told him about my run in with Malfoy.

"Yeah," I said looking sadly up at the practically empty Gryffindor hourglass, which, up until five minutes before had been at least halfway full.

"He docked us about one hundred points." Harry said sadly.

"Come on Addie," George said pushing me down the hall, "Let's get you cleaned up."

As we were walking Montague, another Slytherin came bounding down the hall.

"Hello Fred, George…Addie…" He winked as he said my name, and George tightened his grip around my waist.

"Hmmm," Montague said pensively, "You're girlfriend is much to attractive for you I'm going to have to—"

Before he even got the words out of his mouth Fred and George had grabbed him, "Open the cabinet Addie!" George instructed.

I did, and they promptly through Montague inside.

"Why did you do that?" I asked.

"Because anything that goes inside that cabinet vanishes for a little while, then comes back in about a week's time."

I looked up at my boyfriend and smiled, "Now that's how you deal with a Slytherin."

I went up to the Gryffindor tower and took a nice, hot shower then rushed downstairs for lunch. As I came down the stairs I saw Fred and George huddled together muttering about one thing or another.

"What are you doing?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing Addie, go to lunch." Said Fred.

"No," I smiled. "Whatever it is, I want to help."

"Addie go inside," George agreed. "You'll be more easily expelled than we will, please."

Georges hazel eyes were pleading and urgent, I smiled, "Alright but whatever it is…don't get caught…"

I shook my head and walked toward the entrance to the Great Hall. I reached out to open the door, but someone else got to it before me and I jumped out of the way as the door swung open, and Harry Potter stormed out followed by Argus Filch. He gave me a knowing look and silently walked down the hall in the direction of Umbridge's office.

"Oh no…" I whispered.

I ran into the Hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table, "Where's Harry going?"

"We don't know," Ron replied darkly. "Umbridge wanted to see him."

I stared angrily at the door, "What could she possibly want from him?"

"What does she ever want from him?" Hermione asked.

"So…" Ron began, "detention with Malfoy this week…Umbridge next week… you have a pretty full schedule."

My eyes narrowed and I slunk down in my chair, "Yeah…my social life is just booming."

Megan, who was sitting opposite me, looked up, "You have detention tonight?"

"Yeah," I murmured, "With Malfoy." I spat out his name like it was a terrible swear word.

She thought for a moment, looking up at the ceiling, "Don't worry," she said dreamily. "You won't be there for long."

"Megan," I laughed, "Malfoy's probably gonna keep me there forever."

"He'll try," She replied. "But it'll get interrupted."

Ron leaned in toward me and whispered, "She's out of her mind that one….just like that Lovegood girl…except drunker…"

Megan skipped out of the Great Hall humming a song nobody knew, and without any sort of goodbye.

"I don't think she's crazy," I said pensively. "I think she can See."

"What?" Hermione spat. "Not that Seeing rubbish…"

"No really!" I exclaimed. "I'm not talking like Trelawney type Seeing I'm talking about actually Seeing the future. I really think she can! Ron, you saw her in Divination the other day! How amazing was that?"

"True…" Ron murmured.

Hermione opened her mouth in protest but there was a loud BOOM and everyone's attention was turned toward the Hall doors which had been suddenly blown open. Everyone ran out into the hall to see that someone had set off a large crate of enchanted fireworks. Chaos ensued as students who had been caught in the blow were running for cover, while others were attempting to get past the fireworks to run up the stairs.

I just stood a little ways away, leaning against a tapestry and shaking my head, "Oh that boyfriend of mine…" I muttered.

"Funny guy he is." A voice said from behind me.

I turned around to see George Weasley peaking out at me from behind the tapestry.

"Don't do that!" I said in a hushed voice. "I damn near had a heart attack!"

"Come in," He whispered. "There's a secret passage back here, come on, we can watch from here."

I looked around to make sure that the coast was clear and hopped into a small round door, which was quickly shut behind me.

"We've been watching the whole thing from this hole in the wall over here." He made a motion to a small cranny in the crawlspace Fred, George, and I were currently crammed into.

We laughed as Umbridge tried to stun the fireworks causing them to explode with amazing force. Suddenly, the small door creaked open again and Harry Potter crawled inside. We all turned to see him wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, "Very nice…better than Fillibuster that's for sure."

"I just hope she tries to vanish them," George laughed maniacally, "Then they multiply."

The fireworks outside sparked and sputtered as a raging Umbridge and a confused Filch rushed after them. None of the other teachers seemed to want to help at all. When asked by Umbridge for assistance they would simply reply, "Well I know how to get rid of them just as much as you do!" or, "I wish I could Dolores but I have some papers to grade upstairs."

That night in the common room Fred and George were exalted for pulling the greatest prank Hogwarts had ever known. George smiled and held me close to him as people bombarded him with questions.

"Are they for sale?"

"How much?"

"How did you make them?"

"What are they called?"

"Any questions should be directed to our sales representative, Addie White," George laughed happily. "She'll be happy to deal with you."

I shot him an angry look. "Oh you'll pay for this Weasley."

"You're so cute when you're threatening my life." He cooed.

After telling about a hundred people that 'Weasley's Wildfire Whiz-bangs' were currently out of stock but they could be put on a waiting list and notified when they were available I trudged up the stairs to the girls dormitory and hastily fell asleep.

The next day I woke up with another detention with Malfoy to look forward to. Harry seemed very distant and I couldn't help but think that there was something that he wasn't telling us. I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but I was trying my hardest to separate myself from him. It seemed that whenever you needed to talk to him he was either in detention, or at Occlumency lessons or some other place that only he could be, but when you were trying to avoid him he was everywhere you turned.

He constantly got this far off look in his eye and I would have to nudge him during class whenever a teacher asked him a question. Harry left early during dinner to get a head start down to Snape's dungeon and it took all my resolution not to follow him…well…not right away at least. Giving the excuse 'I have a stomach ache' I quickly slipped into the hall and walked in the direction of the Potions room. I heard Harry's voice and flattened myself up against the wall.

"I had no idea that Marietta would tell…" I peered around the corner to see Cho Chang sidling up next to Harry, her dark eyes looking sad and sympathetic. It made me sick.

"None of us did." Harry replied in a sullen tone.

I grew a bit more daring and turned to look at the expression on Harry's face. He looked annoyed and preoccupied. I could feel the smile spreading across my face as the frown deepened on Harry's.

"She really is a good person…" Cho continued. "She just made a mistake that's all…"

"A good person who made a mistake?" Harry spat. "She sold us out to Umbridge."

_You tell her Harry_. I thought.

"Well there wasn't any harm done. We all got away!" Cho sympathized. "Her mum works for the ministry she had a lot of pressure…"

"Ron's dad works for the ministry too!" Harry retorted. "And _he _ stayed true to the D.A! He doesn't have 'sneak' written across his face!"

"That was a terrible thing of Hermione to do," Cho said angrily. "She should have told us the list was jinxed!"

"It was a brilliant idea." Harry said his voice turning cold.

"Oh well of course!" Cho cried. "It was darling Hermione's idea!"

"Don't start crying again!" Harry spat.

I held my hand to my mouth to keep from laughing.

"I—I wasn't g—going to!" Her voice quivered telling otherwise.

"I've got enough to deal with right now without you crying all over me again." Said Harry.

"Well—well go deal with it then!" Cho stalked off in my direction. I hurriedly looked around. I was trapped. She would know that I had been spying on them. As soon as she rounded the corner and looked at me her face grew even more angry.

"HE'S ALL YOURS!" She yelled pointing in Harry's direction, "I HOPE YOU'RE VERY HAPPY TOGETHER!"

Harry turned to look around the corner and when he saw me his eyes widened and he nervously tugged on his collar. "W—What are you d—doing here?" He asked.

"I'm worried about you, Potter," I smiled watching Cho storm angrily down the hallway. "I mean, you've seemed really weird lately."

"It's just this Occlumency thing," He murmured. "I mean—I should be practicing more—but it's really hard—and Hermione—"

I held my hand up to stop him, "Nah don't explain yourself to me. I get it. Just—well—next time you need someone to talk to—I'm here okay?"

He smiled a tinge of red filled his cheeks. He tugged nervously on his collar again and his green eyes darted to the floor. "Thanks," He smiled, "Really."

"Well," I laughed, "you'd better get down to that dungeon because old Snape will have a hissy fit if you're late—but then again—I wouldn't wanna go to Occlumency lessons with Snape unpracticed either—"

"Thanks," Harry said sarcastically, "Your sympathy is touching."

"Well…" I said awkwardly, "Goodbye Potter"

"Seeya Addie." He shifted nervously.

I turned to go toward the Gryffindor common room. Fresh off another almost-romantic-encounter, but this time, it was me walking away.


	20. The Letter

I don't know why I waited for him to come back that night. I sat in the common room until everyone had gone off to bed, and waited for Harry to come back upstairs. I told myself that it was to catch up on homework. I tried to convince myself that my staying up had nothing to do with Harry, or the almost-romantic-encounter, but deep inside I knew that was exactly it.

I heard the portrait hole swing open and I quickly opened up my books and pretended to be reading. I heard quiet footsteps entering the common room and I sucked on the end of my quill making it look as though I was completely engrossed in the homework in front of me. I waited for a minute or two then turned around. Harry was standing at one end of the room, staring at me. I smiled at him and then turned back to my homework, hoping that he would make the next move.

I could see his reflection in my ink bottle. He tugged at his collar and shuffled his feet nervously. I smiled to myself.

_Come on Harry._ I thought. _Say something…_

He opened his mouth and then closed it again. I was starting to get frustrated. I was about to turn around and say something myself when he blurted out…

"I don't have Occlumency anymore." He shut his mouth quickly and looked at the ground.

"Why?" I asked. "Harry Dumbledore wants you to practice Occlumency! You're supposed to go!"

"W—Well," He stammered, "Snape got really mad at me tonight. And I reckon I've had enough lessons to be able to close my mind when I need to."

I thought for a moment. "What did Snape get so mad about?"

Harry paused. His brow furrowed as he thought. I could tell he was trying to figure out whether to tell me the truth or a lie. His eyes darted to the floor and he tugged on his collar. A smile spread across my face.

"Listen Potter if you're trying to come up with an adequate lie then just don't tell me and go up to bed." I laughed.

He seemed startled by the fact that I had pinpointed exactly what I was doing. I felt a sort of smug satisfaction at the bewildered look on his face.

_He's cute when confused._ I thought.

_No! Wait!_ A voice in my head screamed. _No he isn't! You can't think like that! It's just Harry! Remember the boy who went off and kissed Cho Chang after your almost-romantic-encounter? You have George Weasley. You're happy with George. You love George. George….George…George…._

"I looked into Snape's pensive," Harry said. "And I saw…well…I saw my dad."

The look on Harry's face told all. Every time Harry's father was mentioned, whether by him or someone else, his eyes lit up and a smile spread across his thin face. But this time there was no smile to be found. His eyes were cold and he seemed to be staring far beyond the walls of the common room, he was remembering what he had seen, and it hadn't made him happy.

"What happened?" I asked.

I wanted to walk over and comfort him, but I thought better of it.

"He was our age and he—well—he Sirius, Lupin, and Wormtail—they were by the lake—" He paused. "Sirius said he was bored and well—they just started jinxing Snape—just out of boredom!—Nothing more!—I never believe Snape about my father's arrogance but now—" He trailed off.

I remained quiet for a moment. I didn't really know what to tell him. I couldn't make what he saw any less painful. I wanted to go over and comfort him, but I thought better of it.

"Was my mother there?" I asked.

"No," he replied. "But mine was."

At this the sides of his mouth twitched into a small smile and his green eyes regained their familiar shimmer, "She was decent."

"How so?" I asked.

"She stood up for Snape," He recalled proudly. "She told my dad to bugger off. She was a good person."

I smiled. "Girls mature faster than boys."

"Yeah but she really seemed to hate my dad," He went on. "The way she looked at him…how could they have ended up married?"

I thought for a moment. "A lot changes in the time between now and adulthood. I don't expect to be the same when I'm twenty as I am when I'm fifteen. Heck! I don't even think I'll be the same when I'm sixteen! Time changes a person Harry…I'm sure your dad was a great guy."

"How do you know?" He asked quietly. "How do you know he wasn't just some jerk who forced my mother into marrying him?"

"Well," I smiled, "Just look at his son."

xxx

Hermione harassed Harry about Occlumency all the way down to the Great Hall, but he never told her what he told me. All the fifth years were beginning to feel O.W.L anxieties. Hermione had made us all study charts and I was grateful for it. There were only six weeks left till exams and I had scarcely opened a book to study.

The Gryffindor Quidditch team was getting worse by the day and every time I passed by the pitch and saw them practicing I wanted to break down and cry. That afternoon leaflets began to be handed out by teachers and prefects talking about requirements for different careers. A notice was put up on the bulletin board saying that all fifth year students would be given the opportunity to meet with their Head of House and discuss their career opportunities.

All the Gryffindors names were posted on a list in the common room that told you the time of your meeting. Mine was right before Harry's on Monday which meant that I missed most of Potions.

I flipped through the pamphlets and found one that caught my eye.

_"How would you like to work in the fast paced career of Healing?" _

_Do you enjoy helping others? Do you have a knack_

_for curing illnesses in your family? Then why not_

_try Healing? It requires a lot of hard work and _

_dedication but in the end the smiles on your cured_

_patients faces will make it well worth it. You need_

_at least an E at N.E.W.T level potions Herbology _

_Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense Against _

_The Dark Arts to work in the demanding position. _

_Think about Healing today! _

Ron looked over my shoulder and the pamphlet I was holding. "Healing looks like a real pain in the arse if you ask me."

"I don't know," I said pensively, "I've always kind of liked Healing."

"Oh…" Ron's ears went red. "I mean if it suits you—err—it just seems like a lot of –err—work to me and—err—"

I laughed, "Forget it Ron."

We discussed careers for a little while until Harry slipped back into an awful mood and we all departed the common room, and I decided to go on my own.

"Hello my sweet." George Weasley whispered in my ear.

I jumped. "You scared me!"

"I always seem to scare you." He observed.

"True…" I thought.

"You're a very scareable person." He laughed.

"Shut up Weasley." I said playfully shoving into his arm.

"Are you afraid of the dark too?" He asked. "Because if you need me to come to your room at night…"

"Not another word," I cut him off. "I'm fine in the bedroom department thank-you-very-much."

He shrugged. "Just helping a friend."

"A friend?" I raised my eyebrow. "Just a friend?"

"A very attractive female friend who I may or may not call my _girl_friend." He smiled.

"Oh," I laughed, "That kind of friend."

He took my hand and we walked up to the library to meet Megan and Fred who were apparently trying to get Madame Pince to let them check out a book from the Restricted Section on a potion that would make you spontaneously combust.

"What do you need a potion on that for!" I exclaimed.

"Fred and I are trying to develop a new snackbox that makes you explode and then come back together again."

"George…" I began, "How are you going to test that? If something goes wrong…"

Comprehension dawned on his face and his eyes grew very wide. "I need to talk to Fred."

He pulled me along the corridor as we raced to find Fred and Megan. We skidded to a halt just in front of the library's large double doors when Megan and Fred came out looking terrible downhearted.

"She wouldn't let us," Fred said sadly. "No note. No book."

"She's obviously a mutant leprechaun." Megan announced.

We ignored her.

"Well," George ran his hand through his hair. "I suppose it's all for the best anyway."

Suddenly Ginny came bounding up the hall and inserted herself into the middle of the group, demanding our attention. "Harry wants to talk to Sirius."

"What?" Fred and George asked together.

I turned to see if Megan had picked up on Sirius's name. She had no reaction. Her blue eyes had wandered off to the ceiling as they so often did and she was humming a quiet tune to herself.

"He wants to talk to Sirius, and you need to help him." Not many people (aside from me) told Fred and George Weasley what to do, but Ginny spoke with such determination that they never even thought to question her.

A mischievous smile spread across Fred's face as he looked at his twin whose face suddenly dawned the same devil-may-care expression. "We've got it covered."

We all went upstairs to find Harry and tell him that Fred and George had a plan to help him talk to Sirius. After speaking to him for a moment they decided to execute their plan the next day at five o'clock.

"We should give the operation a name," Megan said. "That would make it sound more spy-like." She dropped to one knee and held her hands together to form a mock gun. She squinted her eyes very tight and looked side to side. "See?" She smiled. "I was being spy-like."

We all laughed at this.

"What do you suggest for a name Megan?" I asked.

She scrunched up her face in thought. "Operation 'the' ."

Fred raised an eyebrow. "Operation…the…"

"Then nobody will guess what it's about!" She giggled.

George sighed. "Crazy but true…operation 'the' it is…"

The next day Fred and George explained all of our parts to us in detail. We all listened eagerly feeling more and more spy-like as time went by.

"Addie, Ginny," Fred said, "It is your task to make sure that Umbridge doesn't return before Harry gets out of there...understood?"

"Yes sir!" My hand sprung to my forehead in salute.

Ginny and I devised a quick plan that called for me to stand in the hallway near Umbridge's office while Ginny stood farther up. If Umbridge was coming she would tug on her ear and then I would go and alert Harry. The only one opposed to Operation The was Hermione, but that was to be expected. I woke up the next day ready for action.

I dressed quickly and walked by the time we had to go to potions I was so anticipating the day's events that I almost forgot to tell Snape that I had to leave mid-class for career advice. Needless to say he was not happy about the news, but there really wasn't anything that he could do about it so he let me go.

I slowly opened the door to McGonagall's office and stepped nervously inside. "Hello Professor."

"Hello Miss White," She nodded curtly. "Please take a seat."

She indicated the seat in front of her and I took it. As soon as I did I noticed the Professor Umbridge was sitting in the corner of the room, clipboard in hand, and sickening smile spreading wide across her face.

"Well as you know this meeting is to help you decide which subjects it would best suit you to take next year," She spoke briskly. "Do you know what you want to do when you leave Hogwarts?"

Professor Umbridge snorted. McGonagall ignored it, but it took all of my strength not to say something.

"Well—I'm not exactly sure but I've always liked—"

Umbridge butted in. "Professor McGonagall don't you think that this meeting is just a tiny waste of time?"

McGonagall's eyes narrowed and she turned slightly in her seat. "No Dolores, these meetings are very beneficial to all students that attend Hogwarts. It helps them chose their classes wisely for the next year. "

"But we all know that it doesn't matter what miss White chooses we all know where she is going to end up." Umbridge's smile broadened.

I gripped the bottom of my chair and stared straight ahead. How dare she? I mean…I knew I was expected to end up a model or an entertainer of some kind every since I was born. But how dare she not even give me a chance to say what I wanted to be! I had no intention of growing up to become the next Sherri White, Model Extraordinaire. I wanted to be a Healer. I wanted to help sick wizards!

Ever since I was little I had always enjoyed attending to my mother when she was sick. I felt proud when she got better. I was happy to have helped. It wasn't until I saw Mr. Weasley at St. Mungo's that I knew I wanted to Heal. If he hadn't been cured then the whole Weasley family would have been torn apart. The Healers helped an entire family and saved a mans life. I wanted to do that. I wanted to make a difference. Now that Voldemort was back Healers would be in high demand. Families would be losing loved ones left and right and I wanted to be able to help those who could be helped.

"I beg your pardon Professor," McGonagall said calmly, "But I believe that it is Addie's decision as to what she wants to do with the rest of her life, not yours."

Umbridge's eyes narrowed. "I believe she has made the decision. Ever since she strutted into this school swinging her hips and flipping her hair its be obvious she's just going to follow her mothers path!"

"I want to be a Healer!" I exclaimed from my chair.

McGonagall smiled, but Umbridge laughed. "You're not smart enough to be a Healer."

"Actually Dolores," McGonagall said through gritted teeth. "If you pull up her records I think you'll find that she is. All of your teachers are ranking you at at least an 'Acceptable' in all of your courses…well…all but Divination but you won't need that to become a Healer."

"Addie White will not be a Healer! She doesn't have the determination!" Umbridge exclaimed.

"Excuse me Professor Umbridge," I smiled sweetly, "But if I have shown enough determination to sit through your lessons and still manage an Exceeds Expectations then I think I have enough determination to do anything."

I swore the sides of Professor McGonagall's mouth twitched as she said. "That's quite enough Addie."

"You'll need to continue with all your core subjects…you know…Herbology, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, and Charms." She smiled. "If you keep your grades the way they are now then there should be no problem with you making it into any of the courses, aside from Charms. Professor Flitwick expects at least and Exceeds Expectations for N.E.W.T level Charms, so do take care to bring those marks up."

"Thank you Professor McGonagall," I smiled sweetly. "I appreciate the advise."

"You may go Addie." She motioned toward the door and I quickly slipped out of the room with the smug satisfaction of knowing that in a few short hours I would be helping Harry foil Umbridge once again.

Before I knew it the time had passed and I was standing in position for 'Operation The'. My heart was beating faster than normal and adrenaline was rushing through my body. It felt good.

Ginny was standing farther up the Hall on the stairs, ready to give the signal if she saw Umbridge. I knew not to take my eyes off her. There was a loud noise coming from somewhere in the castle.

_The diversion. I thought. _

Umbridge bustled out of her office at top speed, wand ready; she hurried up toward Gregory the Smarmy's corridor on the third floor.

Ginny gave me the first signal. Umbridge was out of sight.

I looked at Harry and nodded. He hesitated for a moment, then swerved in and out of students as he rushed into Umbridge's office.

Phase one complete.

Time went by. I watched Ginny like a hawk. No signal. Then it came. Ginny looked in my direction and tugged on her ear. I whirled around and ran into Umbridge's office. I tugged poked Harry on the back. He whispered a hurried goodbye and I pulled him out of the room just in time.

Filch rounded the corner and I let out a sigh of relief.

He was muttering frantically as he passed us. "Approval for whipping…" he murmured.

Harry and I exchanged dark glances. Approval for whipping? They couldn't have gotten caught…there was no way…was there?

We both raced up to the corridor where the diversion had been set off and my heart jumped into my throat. Umbridge had cornered Fred and George. They were exchanging worried glances as they backed up into the crowd of people surrounding them. As the surrounding students saw me arrive they let me pass by quickly, knowing that I was Georges girlfriend.

Umbridge was staring at the Weasley twins like a hawk who had just caught a particularly fat mouse.

"So you thought you could just turn a school corridor into a swamp did you?" She cried.

"Yep," Fred said without fear, "I thought it was pretty funny."

Filch came hurdling up the hallway carrying a large amount of forms in his hand. "I've got the forms! The whips are in my office waiting! Oh…please let me at them…"

"You two," Umbridge sneered, "are going to learn what happens to wrongdoers in my school."

Fred and George exchanged glances. "You know what?" Fred laughed. "I don't think we are."

"You know what Fred?" George said airily. "I completely agree."

"In fact," Fred began, "I think we've outgrown this school…"

"I've been feeling that way myself." George agreed.

"Time to test our talents on the real world?" Fred asked.

"Most certainly." George said.

They raised their wands and shouted. "_ACCIO BROOMS_!"

Both their broomsticks came hurtling towards the crowd. One still carrying an iron peg.

"We won't be seeing you." Fred addressed Umbridge as he mounted his broomstick.

"Don't bother to keep in touch." George sneered doing the same.

"If anyone fancies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs come to number ninety-three Diagon Alley—Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes." Fred said in a loud voice. "Our new premises!"

"Discounts to any Hogwarts Students who swear they're going to use our products to get rid of this old bat!" George added.

They mounted their brooms and made their way to fly toward the door. Just before they did George stopped in front of me. "Take this…it explains everything."

Just before he mounted his broom, he pulled me close and kissed me. It was a different kind of kiss than any kiss I had received from Malfoy or countless other boys I had met. It was hard. It was passionate. It was great.

And then with Fred's famous last words: "Give her hell for us Peeves."

The words that inspired even the most unruly of Hogwarts ghosts to spring into salute, they flew off into the distance.

I watched them go as Umbridge screamed, waddling after them. All I could think about was what Megan had said to me weeks before, and the letter that George Weasley had shoved into my hand just before he kissed me.


	21. Easier Said than Done

For the next few weeks I was the most in demand person at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Nobody could get a hold of Fred or George so instead all they wanted was to talk to me. They all wanted information on Weasley's Wizard Wheezes or on what Fred and George were doing now. They all wanted to know what George had given me, but I wouldn't tell. I hadn't even told Harry, Ron, or Hermione. In fact…I didn't even know. I hadn't looked at it yet.

I tried to tell myself the reason I hadn't opened the letter was because everything was so hectic. I was studying for O.W.L's! People were attacking me in the halls for the whereabouts of my boyfriend. Then there was the small matter of Harry Potter, who seemed to be everywhere that I was even when I really didn't want him around. I was still dating George, and Harry's constant presence in my life was making it difficult to remember that. I told myself I hadn't opened the letter because so many people were asking me for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to perform 'copy-cat pranks' but I knew differently. I hadn't opened the letter because I was scared. I was afraid of what it might say. But mostly it was what Megan had said all those weeks before that got me.

"When George gives you the letter. Let Harry down easy."

I didn't want to read the letter. I didn't want to have to let Harry down easy. I didn't want to have to know what George had to say. I wanted to live completely oblivious to everything about the letter. I wanted to lose the letter. I wanted to burn the letter or rip it up into a thousand pieces and perform an Unforgivable Curse on it! Instead I just hid it safely away in the music box that Harry gave me for Christmas.

Hogwarts had been turned upside down with the absence of Fred and George. Everyone was trying to be the new 'head pranksters' but not quite living up to their standards. Someone was letting nifflers into Umbridge's office, Dungbombs were being let off at five minute intervals forcing most students to perform a Bubble-Head Charm on themselves before they left the classroom, and Filch was patrolling the halls ready to whip anyone who looked like they were thinking about causing trouble.

The Inquisitorial squad was also suffering their fair share of losses at the delight of the rest of the students. The Slytherin Quidditch captain went to the hospital wing for a strange skin disorder that made him shed his skin like a snake. Malfoy's hair would not stop changing colors (not that I had anything to do with that) but the best attack on an Inquisitorial Squad member came from me to Pansy Parkinson.

I was walking down the hall minding my own business, reading from the Charms textbook when Pansy came up behind me.

"I know what you did to Draco," She said. "And you won't get away with it."

"Pansy," I sighed, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yes you do!" She shrieked dropping her books. "You attacked poor innocent Draco while he was in the library and made his hair change colors!"

"Pansy, Pansy, Pansy," I laughed, "As amusing as it was that Draco's hair turned all the shades of the rainbow…and as much as I wish I had been the one that did it…It was not."

"Yes you did!" She pulled out her wand and waved it in my face. "And now you'll pay."

I slowly took out my wand while she was trying to figure out how to hex me. "I really don't want to do this but you leave me no choice."

"This one's for you, James Potter," I muttered. "_Prongsortious_!"

Pansy screamed and clasped her hands to her head where two large antlers were growing. She didn't say a word, but ran up to the hospital wing as fast as she could. I placed my wand back into my pocket and whistled merrily as I walked down the hall to charms.

Another strange 'coincidence' of the Weasley's disappearance is that whenever anyone was in Inquisitorial Squad or Umbridge's detention something would seem to go wrong right outside the classroom door disrupting the entire process. Malfoy had gotten so frustrated with the Dungbombs that kept going off whenever he tried to hold detention with me that he finally just cancelled the entire process. Umbridge didn't give in that easily the next week but it never mattered much because there were so many pranks being held about the school that she was barely in the room to make sure that I was writing 'I will not disrespect my teachers' for an hour and a half.

Yes, life at Hogwarts was growing more interesting by the minute.

"You know I don't think all of these pranks are doing much good," Hermione said as we watched Peeves unscrewing a chandelier. "And I think we should tell someone about Montague and the vanishing cabinet."

"Umm Hermione," I said. "How about…not?"

"Yeah Montague deserves what he got!" Ron exclaimed as we took our seats in Transfiguration and began our work transfiguring a teacup into a newt.

"And if you want to worry about anyone these days worry about me." Ron said.

"You?" Hermione laughed. "What's wrong with you?

"Mums next letter probably hasn't gotten through Umbridge's screening process yet but when it does I'll bet their leaving will have been my fault!"

"That won't happen Ron," I assured him. "You're mom knows better than anyone that when Fred and George get something in their heads you'd be crazy to try and stop them."

"You know what I've been wondering?" Hermione said tapping her teacup. "How they got premises on Diagon Alley."

"Yeah me too…I mean…you don't think they've been selling dodgy cauldrons for Mundungus do you?" Ron said.

I hadn't really thought about how they had gotten premises. I had always assumed they just had the money, but now that I thought about it, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes didn't make nearly enough gold for that. It was all very suspicious.

"Don't worry," Said Harry, "The money is good."

"How do you know?" We all asked together.

"Because," Harry took a deep breath, "I gave them my money from my Triwizard winnings last year."

I smiled. "That was nice of you." I said.

Hermione on the other hand, was not pleased. "Harry how could you!"

"What's done is done," Harry said. "And it's no good nagging me about it because I don't regret it."

She didn't speak much for the rest of the day.

xxx

As the days drew on Ron got more and more nervous about the final Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw Quidditch match. Nobody thought that Gryffindor was going to win but we all tried to heighten Ron's spirits anyway.

When the day of the game came around I tried to tell Ron that he would do great but he wouldn't listen to me and just stared blankly off into the distance. Harry, Hermione, and I took seats at the top of the stands so that we could get an excellent view of the game.

"Oh look Harry," I laughed, "It's your _ex-girlfriend_."

I pointed to Cho and kind of nudged him a little. He scowled. "I don't care."

Lee Jordan's voice came over the loud speaker though he sounded less enthusiastic and I had a feeling it had something to do with Fred and George leaving. "Here comes the Ravenclaw team…Bradley…Davis…Chang…" I felt Harry sit up a bit as Cho stepped out onto the pitch smiling at the crowd.

The game began and Ravenclaw had scored in no time. I sadly watched as Ron struggled and let in another goal. The Slytherins were loudly singing 'Weasley is our King' and I wanted to go down and kill them.

Suddenly Hagrid appeared in the stands. "Listen…" He whispered, "I need yeh ter come with me I got somthin' ter show yeh."

"Can't it wait?" Harry asked.

"No," Hagrid said urgently, "It's gotta be now."

"I'll tell you what happened." I assured him.

Harry and Hermione left and as soon as they did something miraculous happened. The Ravenclaw chaser came pelting toward Ron. He hesitated for a moment the chaser feinted left, but Ron blocked the goal.

"NICE SAVE BY RON WEASLEY!" Lee Jordan shouted.

And then it happened. Ron saved another goal. And another…and another….

That's when inspiration struck me. And I started to sing.

_Weasley is our King _

_Weasley is our King _

_He didn't let the Quaffle in_

_Weasley is our King _

People began to sing along with me and the roar from the Gryffindor section grew louder.

_Weasley can save anything_

_He never leaves a single ring_

_That's why we Gryffindors all sing_

_Weasley is our King_

Then Ginny caught the snitch, and Gryffindor won. I stood up in the stands and screamed. I had never been so happy in all of my life. I hurriedly ran past all the other Gryffindors and jumped on top of Ron as he thrust the silver Quidditch cup into the air.

"Where are Harry and Hermione?" He asked.

Thankfully, at that moment, they appeared from behind the stands.

"WE WON!" Ron yelled. "WE DID IT HARRY WE WON!"

"Ron was great wasn't he?" I asked them.

"Oh yeah fabulous." Hermione agreed.

"One of a kind." Harry said.

Ron was suddenly whisked away by a crowd of celebrating Gryffindors and I was left standing with Harry and Hermione.

"You guys blew it big time." I said.

"Yeah," Said Harry. "I know."

"So what did Hagrid want?" I asked.

"Well…" Hermione began, "Remember how we told you that Hagrid went up to see the giants and that's why he was gone…"

"Yeah"

"Well he err…brought back…someone."

My eyes widened. "Someone?"

"His little brother…Grawp…" Harry shifted uncomfortably.

"What?" I asked.

"He's been keeping him in the forest. That's where he got all those injuries."

"And…what does that have to do with you?"

"If Hagrid gets sacked," Harry said, "We have to take care of him."

"You're out of your mind." I said and briskly walked back up to the castle.

xxx

The Gryffindor celebration party was amazing, but I couldn't help but think that Fred and George should have been there. Megan got drunk (what's new?) but Fred wasn't there to keep her from acting too stupid so she ended up breaking a coffee table and I had to take her back upstairs to bed.

"You're scared," She said as I placed her onto her bed. "You haven't read the letter yet."

"I'm not scared of George's letter." I laughed.

"Yes you are," She said sleepily, rolling over under the covers. "You're scared to let down Harry like I said." She yawned. "But you have to…and you will…soon enough…"

I wanted to question her more but her light snoring told me that she was fast asleep. I slowly walked over to my little music box and took out George's letter. I knew I would have to read it soon enough. I tore open the envelope, sat down on my bed, and began to read.

_Dear Addie, _

_If you're reading this if means that Fred and I have finally left Hogwarts I know that you might not love me the way that you love other people, but I promise you that I will take care of you and make you happy. I have never felt this way about any other girl. You are beautiful and perfect. I would die to keep you safe, please know that. I know you're only fifteen and that it will be hard to keep up a relationship while I'm away but please, please know that I will always be faithful to you and you'll never have to worry. Please wait for me while you're at Hogwarts. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes will make lots of money and I promise that I will take care of you. Please wait for me. If you don't want to I understand but I don't think I could just be friends with you. It's all or nothing for us Addie. Please wait for me. _

_Love ALWAYS, _

_George Weasley. _


	22. OWL

So I had read the letter. I had read the letter many times. Now it was just a matter of what to do about it. I could have written back to George and told him that I was madly and passionately in love with him and we would have all lived happily ever after. If only it were that simple…

But there is always, as I like to call it, 'The Harry Factor' and 'The Harry Factor' is what was making this whole thing exceedingly difficult for me. I would have loved to pick up my pencil and write the most heart wrenching love note to George Weasley that the wizarding world had ever seen. I would have loved to tell him that I would wait faithfully at Hogwarts for him for the rest of my days, but this, sadly, was not the case.

I tried to ignore my lingering feelings for Harry as long as I could but I suppose, in situations requiring tough decisions, such feelings had to be dealt with. My heart still belonged to Harry Potter. It grew increasingly more obvious during the next few weeks as I watched him sadly tell Ron that he had not seen him perform in Quidditch because of Hagrids half brother. I studied with him for O.W.Ls. I watched him in class. I spent time with him during breaks. I talked to him during meals. I fell in love with him all over again.

But Harry did not feel that way about me. George, as the letter said, would take care of me. He would wait for me. He loved me. Harry did not. I wracked my brain for a solution, but none came. I thought long and hard about what Megan had said about how I was scared to let down Harry but I would have to eventually. One voice in my head was saying, "Megan knows something that you don't. She's obviously a Seer. Do what she says Addie…you'll be better off." While another, louder voice, was countering it with, "Megan is a drunken lunatic! Since when would you EVER take advice from her?"

Both voices had very good points, and again, I was left with a lot of questions and no answers.

Then, on day, as I was pouring over my Herbology notes in a frantic O.W.L review, inspiration struck. I didn't have to make a decision. I could write him and tell him that I still really liked him but that I thought waiting throughout my Hogwarts career was a bit much. I could tell him I wanted to pick up the relationships over the summers and after Hogwarts but just not during. It was ingenious. I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it already. I slammed my Herbology textbook and darted upstairs.

_Dear George, _

_Having just read your letter (O.W.Ls…you know how that goes) I thought long and hard about how to respond. On the one hand I really really like you and I don't want our relationship to end, but on the other I am only fifteen and promising myself to you for the rest of my Hogwarts career seems a bit much. So I came up with this: we could take breaks. During the summers and after seventh year we could be together, but during the year we go our separate ways. How can we know if we truly love each other if we never experience anyone else? I thought that it was a good idea but if you don't…well…I hope you do. _

_Love always, _

_Addie _

I looked the letter over once more and smiled. It was perfect. It wasn't too harsh, but it wasn't too melodramatic and it got the message across perfectly. There was no way that George would disagree! He was a reasonable guy. He couldn't have actually wanted to stay with me for the next two years even when we don't see each other most of the time. Even the suggestion of it was ridiculous. No, my plan was perfect. Free to do whatever we like during the year and resume our dating status during the summers. It was flawless. I could have kissed myself.

Apparently, George Weasley thought otherwise.

O.W.Ls were coming closer and closer so I had been spending most of my free time studying in the Gryffindor common room. So, of course, when my owl came soaring through the common room window bearing news back from George I was in the middle of the common room with almost the entirety of the Gryffindor fifth years.

I eagerly tore open the envelope and threw my owl, pinky (named after the pink ribbon I tied around its neck), a treat. I didn't notice the common room get suddenly quieter as I opened my letter. I heard someone whisper. "It's from George Weasley." But I didn't care to ask how they knew. I just read.

_Addie, _

_No No No No No No No! How pathetic do you think I am? I'm supposed to let you gallivant all over the school throwing yourself at whoever you like during the year and then let you come skipping back to me? Even the suggestion of it makes me sick. I would have waited for you. I knew I loved you. Obviously you feel differently if you want to 'try other people' or however you so lovingly put it. We're either broken up, or together. In fact…we're broken up. I suppose we can be friends but don't expect our relationship to be the same after this. I'm sorry, but I can't only have you some of the time. Like I said in my letter, all or nothing. I really am sorry, but I wanted commitment._

_-George Weasley_

_PS: Fred says you're still our sales representative because people like to buy things from you. So don't stop selling Weasley's Wizard Wheezes _

_PPS: This is Fred writing. I don't hate you, and I don't think George does either. Tell Megan I say hello._

I scanned the letter again. Had George Weasley seriously broken up with me? He couldn't break up with me! My plan was fool proof! It was perfect! All I wanted was for it to work out. I wanted for just once things not to have to be so difficult. I hoped that maybe he wouldn't be expecting too much or too little of me but obviously he was. Another let down to add to the growing list. Hot tears filled my eyes, not so much out of sadness, but out of anger.

"WHY IS EVERYTHING I DO WRONG?" I yelled, ripping the letter into pieces and throwing it into the air.

"YOU WANT COMMITMENT?" I cried, continuing to rip. "COMMIT TO THIS!" I threw the shards of paper into the fire.

I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. "Addie…it's gonna be okay."

I turned around violently to see Harry staring at me compassionately from behind his glasses. I shook his hand off me and screamed through blurred vision. "NO HARRY IT'S NOT GONNA BE OKAY"

And that is how I became the first mental breakdown of O.W.L season.

xxx

By the next day everyone was talking about how the usually so composed Addie White, had gone berserk in the common room due to a combination of stress, frustration, and the fact that George Weasley dumped her via owl. Luckily for me there were hoards of Hogwarts boys ready to comfort me at any time. Unfortunately for them I was not in the mood to be hit on.

O.W.Ls were only a few short days away and the anxiety was starting to set in. I followed Hermione's study schedule like a religion, and no fifth year could be seen without their nose buried in a book. Students were busily trading each other for 'concentration aids' and 'mental agility boosters'.

"Hey Addie," Seamus Finnegan sidled up to me while I walked down the hall. "I got a dragon claw here…says it's supposed to boost your test scores…what'll you give me for it."

"A swift kick in the groin," I replied coolly as I reviewed my Transfiguration notes.

"But it really works!" Seamus protested. "How about a kiss? Just one? On the cheek even?"

"Seamus," I sighed still not looking up from my notes, "I still haven't practiced Defense Against the Dark Arts and unless you want me to practice every hex I know on you, and I assure you Mr. Finnegan I know fair few, don't ever come near me with that plastic piece of shit dragon claw again."

"It's not plastic!" He cried. "It's bonified Dragon Claw! I bought it off Justin Finch-Fletchley for two galleons!"

"Justin Finch-Fletchley ripped you off," I told him. "But if you want me to prove it I will."

"Fine!" He thrust the claw across the table. "Prove it."

I closed my textbook and my notes and looked up at him for the first time. I had forgotten exactly how cute Seamus was. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to flirt.

"Seamus…what do dragons breath?" I asked.

"Fire," he said. "So?"

"So if this was a real dragon claw…it would not melt or burn in fire would it?" I posed another question.

He thought for a moment. "No…no I suppose not."

"Alright then," I took out my wand and tapped the claw. "_Incendio_."

I stifled a giggle at the look on Seamus's face as the claw melted.

"_Scourgify,_" I murmured, cleaning up the mess. "Sorry about that Seamus, but I needed to practice those spells anyway, so thanks."

I scooped up my books and shoved them into my messenger bag.

_Maybe I have time for just a little flirting…_ I thought.

"Thanks Seamus," I smiled seductively and kissed him on the cheek. "You might wanna talk to Justin about your three Galleons."

I flipped my hair out of my face and sauntered out of the library.

Oh it was good to be single again.

xxx

The night before exams O.W.L hysteria reached its pinnacle. Rumor had it that at least thirty-five Hogwarts students were sent to the hospital wing due to 'hallway collisions' caused by fifth years who tried to study while walking in the corridors. Some people even claimed to have seen students being rushed up to Madame Promfrey because their eyes had bled from so much studying. The D.A members smirked as the other students tried to memorize the 'defense theory' that Umbridge had been teaching.

The exam I was most concerned about was, as usual, charms. I could not seem to remember all of the appropriate hand motions and incantations to go with the different "water charms". The night before exams I spread out every bit of charms notes I had taken all year and every book on charms I could get my hands on in the library and read until I thought that _my_ eyes would bleed.

Across the room Ron was reading two years worth of potions notes with his fingers in his ears, Seamus next to him reciting the definition of a Substantive Charm ("A Charm that can carry on its own after you have performed it without any other magic" I said to myself) while Dean Thomas checked that he was correct. Hermione had about every book ever written on any given subject and was furiously trying to read all of them. Harry, like Ron, was pouring over potions notes but seemed to be reading the same page over and over again.

The examiners arrived mid-dinner and every fifth year in the vicinity looked up from their half-studying half-eating binge to try to see what they were like. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I snuck over to the double door entrance to hear them talking to Professor Umbridge. Nothing too interesting was said except a small, old witch telling Umbridge that Dumbledore would return…so nothing we didn't know already.

Hermione and Ron hurried back to dinner but Harry and I hung back.

"I think I'm gonna go upstairs and get to bed," I told him. "If I can sleep…I mean…the knowledge that the rest of my life rides on how well I perform tomorrow is dreadfully upsetting."

"You'll be fine," Harry put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "You know we never got to talk about…you know…what happened with you and George."

My muscles tightened. "Yeah well it's not something I like to brag about"

"No," Harry tugged on the collar of his shirt, "I didn't mean it like that it's just…you seemed really upset and I guess I wanted to see if you…still were."

I gave him a wry smile. "I'm a big girl Harry. I put on my own robes and everything."

I playfully patted him on the cheek. "Seeya in the morning."

xxx

The first day of O.W.Ls was probably the most nerve wracking day of the whole year. None of the fifth years spoke over breakfast because they were too busy looking over any minute detail that they hadn't completely memorized before the test. The fifth an seventh years stayed back after breakfast and after a little while of waiting and studying we were called forward by class to reenter the great hall.

Theory of charms was the first exam that we would be taking and when all the students were seated and quite Professor McGonagall told us to begin.

_Question one-Give the incantation and wand movement required to make objects fly_.

It was a surprisingly easy question.

_Maybe I'll do better than anticipated_. I thought

A few questions down was the only one that I ended up having any significant trouble with.

_Question seven-What is the difference in the wand movement between Cheering Charms and Seducing Charms? _

I knew thought for a moment. Who ever practices a seducing charm? I wracked my brain hard.

_In a seducing charm you flick your wrist to the right and up….._

_And in a Cheering Charm it was up first then over to the right!_

I was unsure of the answer, but I wrote it anyway. It was better to go with a good guess than to leave it blank entirely.

After the exam Harry, Ron, Hermione and I met in the entrance hall. Hermione wanted to talk about the exam but Harry, Ron, and I agreed not to discuss the exams after we took them and refused to listen to her chatter.

The fifth years at lunch with the rest of the school happy to have finished at least one of our exams but still nervous about the ones yet to come. We were called forward in small groups to go take our Practical Charms exams. Hermione was the first of our group called and was trembling as she walked up with the rest of her group.

Harry went next along with Pansy Parkinson (eww), and Padma and Parvati Patil (double eww). Ron and I waited. He kept shooting me anxious looks until I finally asked, "Ron what do you want?"

"Umm…well…" He stumbled over his words.

"You want to know what George said?" I asked. "Well I'm not going to tell you. That's between me, and George."

"Okay," He said, "But maybe—well—maybe it's for the best."

I raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

"Well—sometimes the person whose right for you is right around the corner—or—in the middle of a Practical Charms exam—"

First Hermione, then Ron. What was this world coming to?

"Are you suggesting that Harry Potter is right for me?" I asked coolly.

"Yes," Ron said, "That's exactly what I am suggesting."

"Wash, Daniel, Weasley, Ron, White, Addie, Whitman, Curt." McGonagall called.

"Well continue this later." I said to Ron, grabbing my wand and walking toward the examination room.

"Go down to Professor March, Miss White," Flitwick squeaked. "You'll do fine."

I walked down to the end of the row of examiners to stand in front of a stout, Hispanic woman, with large tortoise shell glasses and stubby fingers.

"Addie White?" The woman asked. "Daughter of Sherri White?"

"Yes maam." I said happily.

"I knew your mother…went to school with her…a very nice woman." She smiled. "Alright I'm going to ask you to take these earrings and make them tango for me."

"Alright." I said nervously, trying to remember the proper incantation.

I flicked my wand and said. "_Bailaste_"

Instantly, the earrings sprung to life, and though both earrings took lead positions in their tango, I felt as though I had done the best that I could.

All in all I did pretty well. I nailed levitation charms and color changing. Though when the examiner said 'spinning charm' I thought that she said 'spitting charm' and ended up having the mouse I was supposed to be making spin spit all over the examiner. I didn't mention that to Hermione but Harry, Ron, and I all shared horror stories after the exam.

Transfiguration was the next day so we all went up to study, even though it was the exam I felt I was most prepared for. All in all I slept easier that night than the night before knowing I didn't really have to worry that much about O.W.Ls.

I assumed that I did fairly well on the written exam the next morning, and the practical exam did nothing but boost my confidence.

Herbology exam came next and it was surprisingly difficult. I ended up getting so frustrated with my fanged geranium that I ripped off one of its leaves causing it to inject poison into my finger and I had to stop my exam while Madame Promfrey mended it. Though I felt assured I made up the points when I potted my Mandrake spilling only a minimal amount of dirt because I knew the trick was to sing it to sleep before potting which impressed the examiners.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was by far my favorite exam seeing as Umbridge was standing in the corner watching me, and all the rest of the D.A., outperform the rest of room with her beady little eyes. Unfortunately, I got the counterjinx for itching mixed up with the one for tickling and it took about a half hour before I stopped scratching myself.

Harry, Ron, and I had the day off which I chose to review for Potions seeing as it was the only other class I needed to become a Healer (well…okay I needed Care of Magical Creatures to but there was no way I wasn't passing that) and then lounged around doing absolutely nothing. Apparently, Harry had also taken this approach and we took a nice walk down by the lake.

"S—so you and George are really over?" He asked as we sat in the sand.

"Yep," I sighed looking out onto the dark lake, "Really over…"

"So anyone new in mind?" He asked.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw his hand shoot up to tug on his collar. I had the feeling he was staring at me, but I ignored it. He couldn't really be doing what I think he's doing…

"Maybe," I smiled, "But I think I'm going to be single for a while."

"Who do you have in mind?" He asked.

He was defiantly staring at me now.

I had been hit on many times in my life. I could spot the signs of interest from a mile away, and Harry was sending definite signs of interest. So Harry was finally coming along. He finally shared the feelings for me I had had for him since the first month of school. Well I wasn't going to let him have it that easily.

I looked up at the sky and sighed. "I don't know. Seamus Finnegan is pretty good looking…I suppose I could date him for a while."

Harry gaped at me. "Y—You mean you l—like Seamus?"

"Possibly," I said, "I'm not quite sure."

"B—But—"

"But what Harry?" I asked sweetly.

"Nothing," He murmured. "I'd better get back inside."

"Bye!" I waved.

"Yeah…bye…" He muttered.

I took in a deep breath and laid myself down in the grass. As fun as it was to watch Harry squirm I couldn't help but think that I blew it.

xxx

The Potions exam was, as I expected, one of the more difficult exams that year. Though I relaxed greatly when I realized that we wouldn't be asked any questions on ingredients I did find that I was much shakier on my antidotes than I would have liked to have been. I thought that my potion came out at least an acceptable, and sighed as I left the exam room.

Only four exams to go and only one of them mattered to become a Healer.

The Care of Magical Creatures exam went just as well as I had hoped, but I tried extra hard to make Hagrid look good. The exam took place outside in the warm spring air and I smiled as a cool breeze swept through the forest while I was in the middle of identifying a bowtruckle.

But Divination, by far, was the most amusing exam of all time. I got paired up with a small, old wizard called Professor Tofty. I sat in front of him as he pushed a crystal ball across the table and told me to explain to him what I saw.

"Well," I stared at the blank crystal ball for a few moments, "I see…"

"Yes?"

"I see a D on my Divination exam." I said softly.

Professor Tofty looked at me angrily and said, "Alright then, please tell me what you see in these tea leaves."

I stared at the cup of soggy tea leaves and sighed. "I see a sun. You're going to be very happy."

Tofty pulled the cup closer to him. "There is nothing in this cup that looks remotely like a sun."

I pulled the cup back toward me. "Fine then, I see a dagger. You're going to die very slowly and painfully. Any better?"

The professor scribbled something down on his clipboard. "Very well your final task is to read my palm."

Unfortunately for me, I slept through the entire month we studied palm reading and I had no idea what to do.

"Well the elongated mmhmmf of the mmmhhmmff line obviously means that you will have a mmmhrmf mmmbblemmbb."

"What's that?" He cupped his hand to his ear.

"The elongated mmhmmf of the mmmhhmmff line obviously means that you will have a mmmhrmf mmmbblemmbb." I repeated getting slower, but not any louder.

His eyes narrowed. "You can leave."

I hopped out of the room.

"How did you do?" Ron asked.

"I made up everything and then for palm reading I just mumbled a bunch of nonsense so the teacher would think that I had actually given some sort of coherent answer."

Ron and Harry laughed. "Well, we were always going to fail that one," We ascended the marble staircase after sharing Divination exam horror stories.

"We shouldn't have taken that stupid subject in the first place." Said Harry.

"Still, at least we can give it up now."

"Yeah," said Harry, "No more pretending we care what happens when Jupiter and Uranus get to friendly…"

"And from now on I don't care if my tea leaves spell _die, Ron, die_—I'm just chucking them in the bin where they belong."

I laughed and hopped into the portrait hole to listen to Hermione talk about the Arithmancy exam for at least a half an hour.

"I hope I did well…"

"Hermione!" I snapped. "You've been talking so much about the damn exam I feel like I've take then class. I didn't take Arithmancy for a reason!"

"Sorry…" she muttered then buried her nose into another book.

xxx

That night we would be taking our Astronomy exam up at the north tower. I couldn't help but linger on the beauty of night as I filled in my star chart. The sky was cloudless and still. I caught my breath every time I saw a star go shooting out of the sky. I finished all my constellations in a hurry so that I could just take my time and examine the night.

I smiled as I looked up into the starry sky, but then suddenly had the sneaking suspicion that someone was watching me. I turned to the side, only slightly, to see Harry, completely ignoring his star chart, and staring at me. I could feel myself blush and I quickly went back to looking in my telescope. Why was he watching me? He should be concentrating on the exam not staring at the side of my face.

_Well it's_ _his own stupid fault if he fails his Astronomy exam_. I thought angrily.

I turned back to see if he was still looking at me, intending to give him the finger if he was. He wasn't. But he wasn't staring at the sky either. His face was pressed hard against his telescoped and it was pointing in the direction of Hagrids hut. I quickly looked into my telescope and did the same thing.

There was a roar in the distance.

A light had gone on in the hut and shadows could be seen moving in the windows. There was a fight going on. A loud BANG was heard from the grounds and several more people were looking toward Hagrids hut. His door flung open and Hagrid could be seen screaming and flailing his fists. There were six others around him, all, apparently trying to stun him.

The Professor was trying to keep calm among the students but it was no use. Everyone was looking at Hagrids cabin now. Professor McGonagall's voice had been added to cries of anguish from the fight going on at Hagrids hut.

Before she could even get out a first angry sentence, four stunners were shot in her direction. Hermione, Parvati, Lavender, and I all screamed.

Not even the Professor was pretending to care about the examination anymore as he cried. "Not even so much as a warning!"

Hagrid was roaring. He knocked out two of the attackers. Umbridge was screaming at the other four to get him but the spells just seeped to bounce off of his body. In the confusion we watched Hagrid, take off running at full speed, into the distance.

The exam was pretty much over after that.

xxx

The news of the attack on McGonagall and Hagrid spread like wildfire throughout the school. Luckily, his giant blood had saved him from the same fate as McGonagall who had been taken to St.Mungo's earlier that day.

"Thank God exams are over…" I sighed the next morning.

"What?" Hermione spun around. "We still have History of Magic."

My eyes widened. "WHAT?" I cried, dropping all of my books. "I COMPLETELY FORGOT HISTORY OF MAGIC!"

"How could you have forgotten History of Magic?" Hermione scolded.

"I don't know!" I ran my fingers through my hair. "I'm in so much trouble."

"You'll do fine," Harry said putting his arm around me. "And besides…you didn't need that class anyway…I mean…you weren't going to use it…"

That was true, but considering I had only stayed awake for about half a History of Magic lesson and never bothered to take any notes (or copy Hermione's) my prospects of scraping a D were looking dim.

The exam began at two o' clock and all the fifth years took their seats in the Great Hall. Hermione kept shooting me disapproving looks as we waited for the Professor to tell us to begin. When she finally did Hermione shot me one last, lightly pitying, glance and began her test.

I didn't know even one answer. It was the most terrible experience of my life. I took comfort in knowing I wouldn't be taking N.E.W.T level History of Magic and decided that instead of answering, I would write a story about a boy named Bo who lost his pet niffler.

_1) In your opinion which goblin contributed most to the goblin wars?_

_There was once a young wizard named Bo who lived in Liverpool. He had a pet niffler. His pet niffler was his best friend because Bo was ugly and had no friends of his own. Bo reminds me of Draco Malfoy. One day Bo lost the niffler because it was stupid and went into the toilet. Sometimes I wish Draco Malfoy would get stuck in a toilet. One time this Slytherin dude got stuck in a toilet. It was funny. I laughed. So anyway, Bo was really sad and stuff about the niffler so he tried to retrieve it. Unfortunately once a niffler goes into a toilet it's very hard to find it again. _

_2)Describe the Giant banishment of 1897_

_I'm not done talking about Bo. So Bo took apart the toilet looking for the niffler but he couldn't find it. Then he turned around and saw Harry Potter staring at him because that's what Harry Potter does. He threw the remains of the toilet at Harry and gave him another scar. Then I popped out of the shower (fully clothed mind you) and laughed myself silly because somebody needed to tell Harry off for staring. Then Ron and Hermione walked into the bathroom and told me I should date Harry eventhough he's dead and I threw his body at the both of them and laughed myself silly. Then I disappeared because, duh, this story is about a boy named Bo. _

_3)Describe the start of the International Confederation of Wizards_

_Bo decided to go down to Diagon Alley and get a new niffler but, duh, they don't sell nifflers in Diagon Alley. Bo thought long and hard about where to find a niffler and then remembered that whenever a niffler gets lost it goest to Professor Umbridge's office. He strapped himself to the top of the Hogwarts Express and arrived later that day. Umbridge was in her office shaving her handlebar mustache when Bo arrived. "Do you have a niffler for me?" He asked. _

_Umbridge cackled a cackly cackle, "Yes I do dear boy but you have to shave my legs for me first. My arms are so stubbly I've never been able to reach them." Bo grimaced, but knew that if he ever wanted a friend again he would have to do it. So he shaved Umbridge's gross hairy legs. _

_4) In your opinion, did wand legislation contribute to, or lead to better control of, goblin riots in the eighteenth century? _

_So the next thing that happens in my story is Umbridge dies because if I could have it my way that would happen in real life anyway—_

Suddenly someone at the far side of the Hall screamed. Everyone turned to look and saw Harry, clutching his scar, screaming at the top of his lungs. His face was screwed up in anguish as he fell out of his chair with a thud on the ground.


	23. A rescue mission

I hurriedly finished my test and waited for the examiner to call "put your quills down" so that I could see what was wrong with Harry. A shiver ran down my spine as I remembered the look on his face. I knew that as soon as the exam was over rumors were going to start spreading about Harry. I looked around at each of my classmates who were slowly finishing their exam. Parvati and Lavender shot each other knowing glances and nodded in Harry's direction.

"He must be in the hospital wing right?" Hermione asked frantically after we had gotten out of the Great Hall. "Right?"

"I'm sure he is…" I muttered looking around, "I mean…where else would he be?"

"Why don't we just get up there and find him?" Ron suggested.

I looked around the corner and smiled. "We don't need to." I said.

"What?" Hermione cried. "He just—you saw what happened—we have to find him—"

"No we don't," I said, "Because he just found us."

Harry came wheeling around the corner and he stopped in front of us. His face was red and he was very out of breath.

Hermione looked frightened. "Harry! Harry are you okay? What happened?"

"Where have you been?" Ron asked.

"Come on," Harry said breathlessly. "I have to tell you something."

Harry hurried us along the first-floor corridor. He walked with determination. I didn't know where he was taking us, neither Ron nor Hermione dared to ask. He veered right sharply and hurried into an empty classroom. As soon as Ron, Hermione, and I had stepped through the door, he slammed it shut.

He didn't wait for any of us to say anything. As soon as the door was closed, he spoke. "Voldemort's got Sirius."

That hit me harder than I could have anticipated. Voldemort had Sirius. Voldemort had taken my father. I didn't want to know how Harry knew. I didn't want to know where he had him, or why he had taken him. I just wanted to fix it. I had only had a father for a few short months now, and I hadn't even been able to enjoy him. I didn't want to lose him. Not now, and not like this.

The look in Harry's eyes said everything. He was scared, more scared than I had ever seen him. His green eyes shone with terror as he told us. There was no one left at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall had been taken to St. Mungo's because of the stunners the night before and Dumbledore was long gone. There was no one left but us.

"H—How do you know?" I asked quietly.

"I saw it…when I fell asleep during the exam." He replied.

Hermione's usually pale complexion was drained of all color. Her eyes were wide with fear, but I could tell that she was thinking. Her brain was buzzing with thoughts that she wasn't ready to express. "But—where? How?"

"I don't know how…" Harry said. "But I can tell you exactly where. There's a room in the Department of Mysteries full of shelves covered in these shiny glass balls, they're at the end of row ninety-seven…He's trying to use Sirius to get whatever he wants from there…He's torturing him…Says he'll end by killing him…"

The words stung to hear. My father was in the Department of Mysteries being tortured by Lord Voldemort. He was going to kill him if we didn't help. How could we get there? I didn't much care what it was, but I knew we needed a plan. We would have to act quickly if we wanted to save him. We had to save him. There was no alternative.

Ron was wearing the expression of one who had just swallowed too much pea soup. He seemed to be trying to process all the information, and come up with his own thoughts. Hermione had grown very still. Her eyes were no longer frightened, but they were fixed on Harry, and she seemed very deep in thought. Harry was shaking. His eyes grew more terrified with every word he spoke. I had never seen him look like that. He was genuinely worried.

"How're we going to get there?" Harry asked us, as though any of us had any more of an idea than he did.

"G—Get there?" Ron stammered.

"Well we can't just stand here!" I exclaimed. "Don't you understand? Sirius is in trouble! We're the only ones who know! We have to save him!"

"Addie's right!" Harry said loudly. "We have to get to the Department of Mysteries!"

Hermione swallowed and looked nervously from me to Harry. She wanted to say something, but I could tell she wasn't quite sure how to put it. "Harry," she began slowly. "How could Voldemort get into the Ministry without anyone realizing he was there?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Harry bellowed. "We just need to figure out how _we're_ going to get in!"

"But…Harry," Hermione said, taking a step closer to us, "The Ministry is full of Wizards right now. How could Voldemort and Sirius, two of the most wanted Wizards in the world, get in without being seen?

My father was being tortured by the most powerful wizard in the world and she was playing twenty-one questions with Harry. If Harry saw Voldemort in the department of Mysteries with Sirius then they were there! Why didn't anyone understand that?

"It doesn't matter how he got there!" I cried. "He's the most powerful wizard in the world! He survived his own DEATH! You don't think that he could slip past a few Ministry Wizards?"

"And besides," Harry said, "The Department of Mysteries has always been empty whenever I've been."

"Harry," said Hermione timidly, "You've never been there…those were dreams."

Now she was going to argue about the reality of Harry's visions! Hadn't the incident with Mr. Weasley proven their authenticity? Sirius could be dieing right now and she was holding us up! I was going to kill her…

"They're not ordinary dreams!" Harry shouted, getting very close to Hermione's face. "How would you explain Ron's dad? How could I have known what was going on if these were just normal dreams?"

"He has a point…" Ron said quietly throwing Hermione a pleading look.

"This is just so unlikely!" She cried. "How could Voldemort have gotten to Grimmuald Place?"

"Unlikely!" I roared. "Unlikely? You know what's unlikely Hermione? A fourteen year old wizard getting thrown into a school-sponsored tournament and coming out with a dead body and tales of the return of the most powerful wizard in the world? You want unlikely? How about three eleven year old wizards beating a series of challenges set by their teachers and then one of them moving on to steal a stone that provides the elixir of life from the same wizard who caused the greatest massacre the wizarding world has every seen? Not unlikely enough for you? How about if that same wizard trapped his sixteen year old likeness into a diary only to be found by an eleven year old girl. Then used that likeness to open up a hidden chamber within a school and release a giant snake that was petrifying students? OR what about the rise of a dark wizard that killed anyone who got in his way but couldn't kill a one year old baby boy, and not only that, was destroyed by that baby? We're with Harry Potter Hermione; you need to throw likeliness out the window."

"Okay," She looked frightened, "But I do need to say this."

"What?" Harry, Ron, and I asked.

"Harry…you do sort of have a…saving people thing…I mean…not to be criticizing…but its true."

I had no idea what that meant. A saving people thing? How is that in any way bad? Oh that stupid Harry Potter he's always _saving people_…how terrible….

"What' that supposed to mean?" Harry spat.

"Well…" She began apprehensively, "I mean…last year for instance…in the lake…during the Tournament…you shouldn't have saved that little Delacour girl…You got a bit…carried away…"

I didn't know what Hermione was talking about, but whatever it was made Harry grimace. He seemed so angry, so frustrated with Hermione. I knew I was feeling the same way. He wanted to get to Sirius. He was the only father Harry had ever known, and now Voldemort was going to take him away too. It wasn't fair. Harry didn't deserve it.

I studied his face. His eyes were sparkling behind his glasses and his hair was even messier than usual. He wasn't nervous or tugging on his collar. He was focused. This must be what it's like when Harry Potter goes into action. I had heard of all the amazing things he had done, but I had never seen him actually perform, this was it. The Harry Potter everyone always talked about. Not just a boy, but a hero.

"I mean everyone thought it was really great of you," Hermione looked positively petrified as she timidly went on, "and everyone thought it was a wonderful thing to do…"

"Well I do remember Ron saying I'd wasted my time _acting the hero_…"

"No!" Hermione interrupted anxiously. "No, Harry that's not what I'm saying at all!"

"Then what ARE you saying?" asked Harry through gritted teeth.

"Voldemort knows you!" she cried, tears forming in her eyes. "He knows what you're like! He knows that you would go to Sirius's aid! What if this is all a trap?"

What if it all was a trap? The thought hadn't crossed my mind. What if when we got down to the Department of Mysteries there was no one there but a group of angry Death Eaters waiting to kill us? What if Sirius wasn't there at all? But then again, what if he was? Could we risk not going? My head swarmed with questions and no one was providing any answers. Harry was screaming about past events and Ron and Hermione were trying to calm him down. I, however, was in my own world.

If all of this was a joke and Sirius wasn't really at the Department of Mysteries, then what? We would put the entire Order in jeopardy. We would probably die. If we didn't die we would be tortured. Harry would never be let live. Neither would Hermione. But Ron and I might be let go. Maybe…

But could we risk it? Could we just, not go? If Sirius was there and we didn't go to help, I could never live with myself. I had only had a father for such a short amount of time. I didn't deserve to get him taken away now. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair…

I snapped out of my trance by the sound of a foreign voice. I looked up. Ginny Weasley had poked her head through the doorway, closely followed by that crazy Luna Lovegood girl who kind of gave me the creeps. Well, lets be honest, she really gave me the creeps…

"What are you yelling about?" Ginny asked, taking a step into the room.

"Never you mind." Harry snapped.

"No need to take that tone with me," Ginny sniffed. "I was only trying to help."

"Well…you can't…" He replied shortly.

"You're being very rude you know." Luna said, staring at him with her creepy bugged out eyes.

"Oh not you…" Harry muttered, though only I heard him. Ginny and Luna turned to leave the room when suddenly, "Harry, wait! They can help!"

Hermione rushed across the room to stop Ginny and Luna from leaving. Harry looked frustrated, but she pressed on. "Harry we need to establish whether or not Sirius has left headquarters—"

"I told you what I saw!" He protested.

"Yes, I know that Harry, but please listen!" pleaded Hermione, "Let's just check that Sirius isn't home before we go breaking into the Ministry of Magic! If you find out he's gone then I'll come and I'll do whatever it takes to save him but please!"

Harry opened his mouth to protest but I stopped him, "It's a good idea Potter."

He turned to look at me, and something in his face softened. It was very slight, and I don't think anyone else in the room noticed it. But I noticed. I got that funny heart-leaping-into-throat feeling and my muscles tensed up. I wanted to smile but I didn't want him to know that I had noticed. A chill ran down my spine.

"Fine," he murmured, "how?"

"We'll need to use Umbridge's fire and check Grimmuald Place to see if he's there," She said, as though she had been thinking about this for a while, "But we'll need lookouts."

She turned to face Ginny, Luna, and I. "You three can be lookouts."

"Can do!" Ginny said enthusiastically while Luna sprang into salute.

"So…do what we did last time?" I asked.

"That and a little more…" Hermione said pensively. "Addie, I want you to help make sure that no one goes down that hallway."

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?" I snapped.

"You're good with people," Said Hermione. "They'll listen to you."

"Fine," I sighed, "I'm in."

"I'll tell Umbridge that Peeves is smashing up the Transfiguration department," Ron volunteered. "That's pretty far away from her office, and I could probably even persuade Peeves to do it if I met up with him along the way…"

"Right…" Hermione murmured. "Harry, you and I can sneak into Umbridge's office together and try to talk to Sirius. I—I don't think you should be alone."

Harry looked as though he was going to say something mean, but then stopped himself. Hermione was willing to risk expulsion to go into Umbridge's office with Harry. If that wasn't loyalty, then I don't know what is. I smiled slightly to myself. I was lucky to have such loyal friends, and I only hoped that when the time came, I could be loyal too.

A mere fifteen minutes later I found myself blocking off the hallway that lead into Umbridge's office. Ginny, Luna, and I had decided to tell everyone that someone had let off Garroting Gas, which was perfect because it's colorless. Ginny and I fended off the hoards of students and Luna, well, Luna just stood like she usually did, looking kind of creepy.

We all stood in silence, waiting nervously for Harry and Hermione to come out of Umbridge's office. Neville Longbottom walked hurriedly into the library, obviously returning all the books he had borrowed during the O.W.L season. Some students passed by but no one paid much attention to us. Word has spread about the Garroting Gas and students seemed to be avoiding that hallway at all costs.

Luna sat cross-legged on the floor staring serenely into the distance and Ginny hummed a tune to herself. I leaned up against the wall and twirled my wand between my fingers, analyzing the chipped pink paint on my nails, counting the tiles on the floor, anything to get my mind off of what was going on in Umbridge's office.

Neville shuffled out of the library, and dropped his messenger bag. As he bent down to pick it up there was a loud commotion from the top of the steps.

"Peeves" Ginny grunted, and then went back to humming.

But it wasn't Peeves. Before we knew it the Inquisitorial Squad, followed by a red faced Umbridge was rushing down the steps. Warrington, who had apparently recovered from the 'vanishing cabinet' incident, had Ron by the scruff of his neck and was dragging him down the hall. It was useless to run. A grin spread across Draco Malfoy's face and he grabbed my arms behind my back.

Millicent Bulstrode and Professor Umbridge had run into their office and I could hear the muffled cry of Hermione as they entered. Another large Slytherin had grabbed Luna and was roughly pushing her into Umbridge's office. The most surprising thing that happened, though, was Neville's reaction. A large Slytherin girl had attempted to capture Ginny, when Neville sprung into action. He raced over and tried to wrench Ginny out of the monstrous girl's arms, and was immediately captured by Warrington's free hand.

Malfoy leaned his head in close to my ear and whispered. "You gave me up just to be expelled," He laughed. "Do you regret it?"

"No," I spat, "never."

"And now what?" He pushed me hard in an attempt to get me to walk toward Umbridge's room. "You go back to home school? All of this because of a stupid crush on Harry Potter. I thought you were better than that."

"You know what Draco," I seethed, "I thought you were better than this."

"How sentimental," He sneered pushing me through the door. "But I'll win you over yet, Addie. You just wait and see."

I was going to respond but the sight in Umbridge's office was enough to take the words out of even my mouth. Hermione was being held up against the wall by Millicent Bulstrode and Warrington was simultaneously chocking both Ron _and_ Neville. Luna and Ginny had their hands wrenched behind their backs and they both grimaced as their captures tugged their arms harder.

Malfoy wasn't so much into hurting me as he was into getting off. I had never been so close to a boy in all my life, and believe me, I had been pretty close to a couple of boys. Umbridge handed him Harry's wand and he pushed me up against the wall. His hands were places that they really shouldn't be and in normal circumstances he wouldn't have gotten his hands anywhere near my bellybutton before I hexed him into oblivion. But unfortunately for me, these were not normal circumstances.

Umbridge was nearly exploding with joy as she questioned Harry, the Inquisitorial Squad laughing at different moments. If only I could just wring Malfoy's neck…

"You can't hate me that much, Adds," He whispered. "Don't you remember all the good times we had together?"

"That was a long time ago Malfoy," I spat. "You've changed, and so have I."

"Draco!" Umbridge barked. "Go fetch Professor Snape."

"I don't know professor," He said, sliding his arm around my waist. "I'm the only one in this room who has had experience with Miss White, and if you don't know how to handle her, she can get pretty feisty."

I struggled against his grip and a large Slytherin boy laughed. "I can handle feisty," He said. "Leave her to me."

"Yes, yes, Draco I'm sure Jeff can handle her."

Draco shoved me violently over to Jeff who hugged me close to him. "This will be fun…" He laughed.

"You touch me and I castrate you, understand?" I murmured.

He pulled my waist tighter against his. "Anything to get you near my—"

I stomped hard on his foot with the tip of my high heel.

"OUCH!" He cried. "YOU BROKE MY TOE."

"You deserved it." I spat.

Just then footsteps were heard outside the corridor and Snape and Malfoy entered the room. The angry Slytherin boy with the broken toe shoved me back at Malfoy..

"Ah Professor Snape," Umbridge cooed. "I would like another bottle of Veritaserum please."

"You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter," He said coolly. "Surely you did not use it all? I told you three drops would be sufficient."

Umbridge blushed and I stifled a giggle.

"Can't you make more?" She asked her voice becoming more girlish.

"Of course," Snape said, "It'll be done in about a month or so."

"A month?" She cried. "I need it this evening! Potter was just using my fire to communicate with a person or persons unknown!"

"Really?" He asked a faint smile appearing on his face. "That's not very surprising coming from Potter."

Umbridge continued squawking about wanting to interrogate Harry, and in about five minutes I think I deflected three attempts for Malfoy to feel me up. Finally Umbridge cried, "You are on probation! You are being deliberately unhelpful!"

Snape turned to leave and got just to the doorway when, "He's got Padfoot!" Harry cried. "He's got Padfoot in the place where it's hidden!"

My eyes grew wide. Harry was a genius. Snape was in the Order. How could we have forgotten? Nobody that wasn't in the Order would know what Snape was talking about. It was perfect. I could have kissed him, but I was too busy dealing with Malfoy.

"Potters gone mad," Malfoy whispered in my ear. "Bloody mad."

I just smiled. "Harry's never been the sanest person."

Snape sidled out of the office acting as though he hadn't the slightest clue what Harry was talking about, but my friends and I knew that he did.

"Very well," Umbridge sighed, "I suppose I have no choice…I'm sure the Minister would agree…yes…"

An evil smile spread across the face I had learned to hate with such a passion. She fiddled with her want a bit as she stared at Harry. "You made me do this Potter you know?" She said. "But…I have to…"

Malfoy had taken time away from groping me and was watching Umbridge like a hawk.

"The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue." Umbridge smiled horribly.

"No!" I whispered as Malfoy leaned into my ear again. "Wanna see what happens when a Hero gets tortured? Lets see how much you like him when he screams…"

"NO!" Hermione shrieked. "Professor Umbridge—it's illegal!"

Umbridge didn't seem to care. She looked almost excited to be able to perform an Unforgivable Curse on Harry. She raised her wand, hunger building in her eyes.

"What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him." She smiled trying to figure out on which part of Harry she should apply the curse. "He never knew I ordered those dementors after Potter last summer…"

"That was YOU?" Harry gasped. "You sent those dementors after me?"

"Someone had to stop you," She smiled. "They all wanted you silenced but no one did anything…until me…but you got out of that didn't you Potter? Let's see you get out of this—Cruc—"

"STOP!" Hermione screamed. "Harry—we have to tell her—"

Millicent loosened the grip on her and the room fell silent. How could she? How could she tell? I mean, couldn't we stop her from torturing Harry another way?

Umbridge looked like she had just won the Triwizard Tournament for the third time in a row. "So you're going to talk then are you? Come on girl, out with it!"

"HERMIONE NO!" Ron cried.

"Don't do it!" I shouted before Malfoy put a sweaty hand over my mouth.

"I—I'm sorry everyone," She cried, "But—I can't stand it—"

Umbridge looked manic. "Come on—tell me!"

"H—Harry was trying to communicate with D—Dumbledore—" She began slowly.

The room froze. The Slytherins were hanging to every word she said because they thought it was the truth, and the rest of us were all listening because we knew it was a lie.

"Dumbledore!" Umbridge cried happily. "Do you know where he is?

"N—No" She stammered, "W—we've been trying to find him b—but we don't know where to look."

Umbridge's face sagged with disappointment. "What did you want to tell him."

"That it's r—ready," Hermione gulped. "The—the weapon—is ready—"

"Weapon!" The Professors toad like face grew even more eager, "For anti-ministry action?"

"Y—Yes" She said, "We left before it was finished and n—now—we need to t—tell him. We don't really understand it—"

"Lead me to it." She commanded.

"I won't show them." Hermione pointed at all the Slytherins.

"You don't set conditions!" Umbridge snapped.

"Fine!" Hermione sobbed into her hands. "Let them see it! I hope they use it on you! In fact I hope the whole school could see it and then if you annoyed anyone they'd be able to s—sort you out!"

Umbridge looked around suspiciously at the members of the Inquisitorial squad. Malfoy was practically drooling with greed, and apparently, stupid as she was, she picked up on it.

"Professor," Malfoy said, "I think some of the squad should come just to make sure—"

"I don't need your help handling two wandless teenagers!" she cried. "And I do not think this is something schoolchildren should see. You will stay here and make sure none of the rest of them escape."

And with that Umbridge, Hermione, and Harry left me, and the rest of my friends, alone in a room with some very angry Slytherins.


	24. Midnight Flight

Malfoy's sneer grew wider as the door slammed shut. We all waited in silence as the footsteps moving quickly down the hall grew softer. What was Hermione doing? Where was she taking Harry and Umbridge? We had to get to them, but how?

Draco leaned up against the wall and twirled Harry's wand in his fingers.

"So," He smiled, "Alone at last."

I sighed. "In case you haven't noticed Draco there are like…a gazillion other people here," I flipped my hair over my shoulder, "There's no one to save you now Malfoy. Don't test me."

The Slytherins laughed. "Little girl wants to play?" Millicent Bulstrode stepped forward. "Come on and play."

I pulled my wand out from under my cloak, "_INAUGOROUS_!" I cried. Millicent flew backwards into Goyle who quickly let go of Luna and jumped out of the way. Luna took a moment to clean herself off and lazily muttered, "_Stupefy_" knocking both Millicent and Goyle unconscious. Ron, Neville, and Ginny had also gotten free and joined Luna and I, pointing their wands at the Slytherins.

I narrowed my eyes and stared daringly at Draco Malfoy, begging him to make a move. Long purple strand of hair were falling into my eyes as I pointed my wand directly at Malfoy's chest. "Let the games begin."

Spells were flying from every direction. I stunned Malfoy and then roundhouse kicked Crabbe in the stomach. Neville performed a surprisingly good Impediment Jinx on Warrington. I dodged a stunner from Ron, who was going at bit stun crazy, and landed right at Malfoy's feet. He pointed his wand at my temple and bent down closer to me.

"You know Addie." He laughed. "Living with my father has taught me a few things. One of them is a nice little spell called the Imperius Curse. Maybe you've heard of it? I haven't been able to practice it though…maybe you can help me?"

The room fell silent. He was going to perform an Unforgivable curse on me. I knew he was. The look in his eyes told me that he was dead serious. I looked pleadingly around the room. All of the other Slytherins had been knocked unconscious or were too incapacitated to move, but none of my friends dared do anything. I saw Ginny's hand grip her wand as Malfoy opened his mouth. I was about to kiss my freedom goodbye when. "_BOGEYOUS_!" Ginny's bat-bogey hex hit Malfoy right between the eyes and I scrambled away, savoring the sight of Malfoy covered in giant flapping bats.

"Thanks Ginny," I said breathlessly. "I owe you one."

"I have a feeling that tonight you'll get the chance to make it up to me." She smiled.

"Come on," Said Ron as he grabbed Harry's wand from off the floor. "We'd better get out of here before all the spells wear off."

"Right…" I muttered.

We ran out into the hallway and looked around. How were we going to get to Harry? Nobody even knew where they had gone; Hermione hadn't even given us the slightest clue as to where she was leading them. We were stuck without a clue.

"They went into the forest," A voice called from behind us. "You won't have to go very deep into it to find them though; they'll be finished by the time you get there."

We all turned around to see Megan Kelly gliding down the hallway with her usual blank expression.

"How did you—how do you—Megan what's going on—" I stammered, "How do you know about—"

She sighed. "Addie…I think you know the answer to that."

"You're a—you can—a Seer?"

"Yep," She smiled, "But I don't know all the details. I just know that if you all walk your arses down to the Forbidden Forest and take about, oh, let's say a ten minute stroll into it then you'll find two slightly bruised, but perfectly fine friends of yours."

"Minus an angry Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" I asked.

She smiled. "Minus an angry Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

I looked around at Ron and the rest of the gang. They were all staring at Megan with varying degrees of surprise. It made sense that she was a Seer though, and I didn't think anyone doubted her authenticity. It was just strange to have our feelings finally confirmed.

"Well," She said, "Go on now…go…"

I smiled at her. "Thanks Megan."

"Anytime." She smiled back.

We all rushed down the hall to the entrance hall. I pushed the large front door opened and walked outside. It wasn't too cold, a light breeze was drifting through the courtyard but the warmth of summer still hung in the air.

We all stood apprehensively for a moment. The world around us had changed so drastically in the last five hours. My father, Sirius Black, was being held captive by Lord Voldemort and it was only a matter of time before he was dead. We had just stunned, jinxed, hexed, and cursed a group of school authority figures enough to get us thrown in Azkaban let alone expelled. And to top it all off two of our friends were going into the Forbidden Forest with our insane Headmistress and coming out without her. I had a funny feeling that my first year at Hogwarts, would be my last year at Hogwarts.

"Well," Ginny breathed deeply, "I guess we should go in and find them."

"Yeah," I replied, "I guess we should."

The five of us all made our way toward the Forbidden Forest. The only noise we made was the sound of leaves crunching under our footsteps. We came to the line between the grounds and the Forbidden Forest and everyone paused for a moment. I had never been into the forest and I wasn't sure if any of the others had. I was scared. What if something bad happened? What if we met up with some forest creature and there was no one there to save us? But we had to suck it up; I took a deep breath, and took my first step into the forbidden forest. The rest of the group followed me and just as Megan had said no more than ten minutes into the forest did we hear Hermione and Harry's voices coming from a distance.

"Harry…how are we going to get to London?" Hermione's voice said.

"We were just wondering that ourselves." Ron laughed as we walked up behind them.

Harry and Hermione jumped as they turned to face us. Hermione gasped. We weren't in the best shape. Neville's right eye was swelling at an amazing rate and Ginny had scratches down the length of her cheek. Ron's lip was bleeding profusely and I knew I had a gash above my right in the place where I had fallen into Malfoy and several bruises on my legs.

In all honesty, though, our scrapes were nothing compared to the shabbiness of Harry and Hermione. Harry's face was covered in scratches and Hermione had a bruise right in the middle of her forehead. It wasn't as much the scratches that threw me off, as it was the blood. They were both covered in blood.

"What the hell were you two doing?" I asked.

"I could ask you the same," Harry laughed looking me up and down. "How did you escape?"

"I performed an assault hex on Millicent Bulstrode and there were a bunch of stunners going around," I shot Ron a look. "Neville pulled of a really good Impediment Jinx, but the highlight of the evening was definitely Ginny's Bat-Bogey hex on Malfoy."

I smiled and clapped my hand on Ginny's shoulder. "You're my new best friend."

"Terrified already." She replied.

"So what have you done with Umbridge?" Ron asked looking around the small forest clearing where we were standing.

"She got carried away by a heard of centaurs." Harry replied casually.

"Nice!" I laughed.

"They left you behind?" Ginny asked.

"No, they got chased off by Grawp." Said Harry.

"Who's Grawp?" Luna asked dreamily.

"Hagrid's little brother," I answered. "So Harry…how are we getting into London…assuming…wait…Voldemort has Sirius right?"

The thought had just dawned on me. Voldemort might not have him! He could be perfectly safe!

"He wasn't at Grimmuald place," Harry grimaced, "But I know he's still alive. I just don't know how we're going to get there."

Everyone thought for a moment. Ron was the only one with a broomstick that hadn't been confiscated, and if we did fly we could risk being seen.

"Well we'll have to fly won't we?" Luna said.

"Okay," Harry said irritably, turning to face her, "We aren't doing anything. Ron, Addie, and Hermione are coming with me and that's it. And Ron's the only one of us that has a free broomstick."

"I've got a broomstick!" Ginny cried.

"Yeah but you're not coming." Ron snapped.

"Why?" She asked angrily.

"You're too—"

Harry began but Ginny cut him off.

"I'm three years older than you were when you fought You-Know-Who over the Sorcerer's Stone and it's because of me Malfoy's stuck back in Umbridge's office with giant flying bogeys attacking him—"

"Girl's got a point." I said.

"What?" Harry cried. "They can't come with us!"

"We were all in the D.A together, Potter!" I cried. "They stuck their necks out for you, they know how to fight, and they have every right to be here just as much as we do!"

Harry's eyes narrowed as he looked at me. "We still don't know how to get there!"

"I thought we'd settled this?" Luna sighed irritably. "We're flying."

"Look!" Barked Ron." I'm sure you can fly without a broomstick but the rest of us—"

"There are other ways of flying." Luna replied casually.

So it was official, Luna Lovegood was out of her mind, but we needed as many people as we could get on this mission, especially if they were going to be saving my father.

"Luna," I sighed. "What are you talking about?"

"Thestrals!" She provided happily. "They're very good at finding things, and they can fly."

"Yes…" Harry murmured turning to his left and staring intently at one spot, "of course…"

"Those mad horse things?" Ron said. "The ones you can't see unless you've watched someone die?"

"Yeah" Harry said, patting the air.

I shook my head. "No way Potter." I said. "No way I'm riding and horse all the way to London that I can't even see."

"You want to save Sirius don't you?" He said angrily.

"Yes but—"

"Then you'll ride the thestral!"

"Fine," I folded my arms across my chest, "But I won't like it."

"How many are there?" Ron asked.

"Just two" Harry replied.

"We need four…" Hermione muttered.

"Five, Hermione," Ginny scowled.

"There are seven of us actually." Luna said calmly.

"We can't all go!" Harry shouted. "You three aren't involved."

"Harry Potter!" I cried among Neville, Luna, and Ginny's protests. "They deserve to come. We need all the help we can get! We're going up against Voldemort for God's sake! We need all the help we can get!"

"Fine…" Harry said softly rubbing his scar, "but it's their choice and only if we can find more thestrals."

"Oh more will come." I smiled.

"How do you know?"

"In case you haven't noticed Potter, you're covered in blood." I said.

Harry looked down at his clothes as if realizing for the first time that he was soaked with blood (which I secretly hoped was Umbridge's).

"Okay," Harry said looking around, "Here come some more…we're still one short…"

"I'll ride with Harry!" I blurted out. "I'd feel better…you know…with another person…"

Luckily it was too dark for anyone to make out the scarlet red I must have been turning.

"O—Okay w—well I'll h—help you guys get on." Harry suddenly became very nervous, probably from the stress of going saving Sirius.

He helped Ginny, Hermione, and Ron onto a thestral while Luna happily climbed on herself. Apparently, she could see them. It was very bizarre to watch. My friends looked as though they were floating in mid-air. Harry walked, kind of awkwardly, toward me.

"Ours is right over here." He grabbed my hand and led me a few feet to the left.

I felt my face flush.

"I'm gonna move your hand to touch it okay?" He said. "Don't get scared."

"I—I won't." I gulped.

Harry took my hand and placed it in the air. But I didn't feel air. There was something solid, and, well, scaly. I could feel it breathing. I jumped back.

Harry laughed. "I'll help you up."

He grabbed my waist and lifted me onto the horse. It was a strange feeling. I knew there was something solid underneath me, I just couldn't see it. Harry quickly hoisted himself up onto the thestral and sat right in front of me.

"Well," Harry gulped, "I guess you should hold on to me or…something."

I wound my hands tentatively around his waist. "Let's go save Sirius."

"Right…" He gulped. "Let's go save Sirius."


	25. The Department of Mysteries

Harry leaned into what must have been the thestrals ear and said, "Ministry of Magic visitors' entrance, London…if you know where that is…"

The thestral, apparently, knew exactly where it was and took off from the ground at once. My immediate reaction was to hug closer to Harry because it seemed to me as though we were floating in thin air. I had no idea what a thestral looked like but it must have had wings because I could feel them flapping right next to my legs. Ron and Hermiones' thestrals took off behind us and I could tell they were just as apprehensive about flying as I was.

In any other situation I would have thought flying through the air on a starry night with the man of my dreams would have been endlessly romantic, but as it turned out, it was not. In all the hype about Sirius being caught by Voldemort, Umbridge being taken away by Centaurs, and Draco Malfoy trying to turn me into some sort of sex slave in the Headmistresses office I forgot that I would be riding an animal I couldn't see, much higher than I had ever flown before. It didn't bother me so much when I'm only a bit off the ground, but with a thestral taking me soaring through the skies, I was pretty scared.

Once my mother and I went to a muggle carnival that came to town and I decided it would be great fun to go on the Ferris wheel. It was not, in fact, great fun. The stupid muggle operator spilled soda on the wheel operation machine thing (as you can see I'm not good with muggle technology) and my mom and I got stuck at the top. They had to get us down with one of those big, loud, red trucks that comes whenever a muggle lights something on fire and I've been scared of heights ever since. On the Quidditch pitch I was always okay though, I knew that I had total control of the broom. I just got terrified when I was up so high and I didn't have any control over where we were going or what I was riding on, and the fact that I couldn't even _see_ what I was riding didn't help. The houses and cars below looked like small moving specks and if I had clung any harder to Harrys' stomach he would have coughed up his lower intestine.

The thestrals moved with amazing speed, but we didn't reach London until well after twilight. Harry seemed to have noticed that something was wrong with me and kept looking over his shoulder to see if I was okay.

"Are you alright Addie?" He asked finally after silently checking up on me about five gazillion times.

I only stared at him. At this point my life had flashed before my eyes several thousand times. I had nearly burst out into tears on three occasions and my hands were probably fused to Harry Potters' abdomen.

"A—Are you a—"

"Afraid?" I squeaked, "Just a little bit…"

Harry gave a small chuckle and turned back around so that I could think about my impending doom in peace. Sirius was still alive. I knew he was because Harry knew he was, and Harry Potter was never wrong. I only hoped that he wasn't too traumatized from the night's events by the time we got to the Ministry. I didn't want my father to end up like Neville's parents, sitting in a white room somewhere at St. Mungo's. I wanted him to live. I wanted to go back to Grimmuald place and show him how well I did on my O.W.Ls (aside from History of Magic and Divination of course), I wanted to show him how well I rode a broomstick, and to do all the things I had never gotten to do before. I wanted to have father-daughter time with him. I wanted to enjoy my father. Voldemort couldn't take that away, could he?

Suddenly the thestral lurched forward and we broke into a dive. The first thought that ran through my mind was, "Oh my God I'm going to die." I screamed. I screamed like I had never screamed before. I screamed until the thestral finally landed on the ground.

When we landed I quickly scrambled off the thestral and through myself on the ground.

"Oh beautiful land!" I cried. "Oh wonderful, beautiful land."

I heard a light thud as Harry hopped of the thestral and landed next to me. I looked up to see him grinning slightly as he held out his hand to help me off the ground.

"How is it that if you're so afraid of heights you play Quidditch?" He asked as all the others landed. "It doesn't quite add up."

"In Quidditch I have complete control of the broom. I'm in charge. But on that stupid thestral thing," I motioned where I believed the horse to be, "I kind of freak out."

"Kind of." Harry shook his head and walked over to help Hermione off her thestral.

Ron, who had reacted similarly to me, was on the pavement nearby attempting to hug the ground. When we had all gotten over the shock of the thestrals ride Harry directed us toward a rusty old telephone booth.

He stepped inside and motioned for us to follow him. Personally, I did not want to cram myself into an out-of-order muggle telephone booth at three o'clock in the morning. It seemed as though I had no choice, however, and I stepped tentatively into the phone booth behind Harry. As soon as Ginny had shut the door behind her Harry spoke.

"Whoever's nearest the receiver, dial six two four four two!" He commanded.

Ron reached over and dialed the number, even though I probably could have done it more effectively. Suddenly, a female voice filled the phone booth.

"Welcome o the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

"Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and Addie White," Harry said, "and we're on a rescue mission!"

"Thank you," the voice said. "Please take the badges and attach them to the front of your robes."

"Badges?" I said quizzically. "What badges?"

As if to answer my question seven badges slid neatly into the coin slot of the phone booth.

"Ah…" I said. "Those badges…"

Harry handed mine to me and I quickly pinned it to my chest.

The voice said something about submitting wands and a search of some kind and then the telephone box began to move. We were slowly going underground. As the top of the telephone booth sank below the surface we were swarmed in darkness. The booth moved farther and farther underground, until finally light appeared at our feet.

The Ministry was completely deserted. I had been there a few times before and there were no wizards bustling about doing their business, or witches gossiping in corners, just seven battered teenagers in a telephone booth.

When the whole booth finally reached the surface the door sprung open and we all toppled out. After dusting ourselves off everyone looked to Harry. He was the only one who had the slightest clue where we were going, so he lead the way.

As we passed by the Fountain of Magical Brethren I winced. The statue of the witch, holding her wand up to the sky was none other than my mother. It was one of her first jobs in the modeling industry. She had gotten it just after she came out of school. I took a moment to stare at it. There was something different about her. She was younger, that's for sure. Her face was much less drawn. She wasn't trying to be sexy either, she was just modeling. I remember her telling me about this job. It was before she was a pinup girl, before she was the face on the cover of every Witch Weekly, before she was the most sought after woman in the industry. She was a nobody. It was good to know that there was a time when my mother wasn't the center of attention.

We followed Harry into the elevator. It was strange that there wasn't any security. This was the Ministry of Magic after all. You would think that someone would be standing guard in case seven teenagers tried to break into the Department of Mysteries.

I nervously glanced over at Harry. He, unlike the rest of us, seemed to know exactly what he was doing. The elevator kept going farter and farter down but he stared determinedly at the doors. Finally the cool female voice said, "Department of Mysteries".

The gates to the elevator slid open and we all shuffled out. We were standing in a long corridor that was lit only by a few torches.

"Let's go," Harry whispered, and we all followed.

We moved into a large circular room. Everything in it was black. All the doors were identical; there was nothing to distinguish one part of the room from the other. I was scared, but I didn't say a word. As soon as Neville shut the door behind him the room became so dark we couldn't see an inch in front of our faces. I felt a hand grab mine and I looked to my right to see who it was, unfortunately, I couldn't see anything.

Suddenly, little blue lights illuminated the room and I felt whoever it was pull their hand out of mine. Then the room started to rotate. Hermione grabbed Harry's arm and I tried to plant my feet more firmly on the ground. The floor, however, did not move, only the walls.

"What was that about?" whispered Ron when the rotating had stopped.

"I think it was to stop us from knowing where we came from." Ginny said fearfully.

I tensed. Ginny was right. I had no idea which door was the door that led outside. We were trapped in the Department of Mysteries.

"How are we going to get back out?" Neville asked, voicing the question on everyone's minds.

"We won't need to get out until we've found Sirius—" Harry murmured.

"Where do we go then, Harry?" Ron asked.

"In the dreams I went through the door at the end of the corridor from the lifts into a dark room—that's this one—and then I went through another door into a room that kind of…glitters. We should try a few doors." Harry told us.

_Great, _ I thought_. I'm stuck in the Department of Mysteries with a bunch of underage wizards, and our 'leader' doesn't even know where he's leading us. _

Harry walked toward the door facing him and we all followed closely behind. He pushed against it and it swung open easily. There were lamps hanging from the ceiling on golden chains making this room much brighter than the one we had come from. All we could see inside it were a few desks and a large tank filled with deep-green water with pearly white objects floating on the surface.

"What are those things?" Ron asked.

I took another look at them and gasped. They were very obviously brains, floating, disgusting, silvery, brains. I could feel myself about to gag and I turned to face the door.

"They're brains." I gulped disgustedly.

"Let's get out of here." Harry suggested.

"Good idea." I said, pushing open the door and running back into the dark, circle room.

"Wait!" Hermione called before Luna closed the door. "_Flagrate!"_

A fiery X appeared on the door and we all stared. What a brilliant idea! I could have kissed Hermione, but I thought better of it. Now we would all know where we had been. The room rotated again, but the fiery X still remained clear when the movement stopped.

"Let's try this one—" Harry said, pushing open another door.

This room was much larger than any of the other rooms we had been in. It was rectangular and the center of it was sunken in. The whole place looked like an amphitheater. In the center of the room was a stone archway with a veil that was fluttered slightly as though there was a light breeze.

I couldn't take my eyes off the veil. I kept getting a strange feeling that this veil, however old and tattered, would soon have great significance in my life. I watched it flutter, ever so slightly, and wondered what made it do so. I wondered exactly what was so special about this veil. I wondered…

"Who's there?" Harry asked jumping down from where we stood onto a stone bench.

"Harry!" I whispered anxiously, "What are you doing?"

Harry didn't answer, he just ran down the sunken pit until he had reached the archway.

"Sirius?" He asked gently.

Harry was acting very strangely, as though someone was standing behind the veil. I shifted slightly to look behind it and just as I suspected, nobody was there.

"Harry," I called, "Harry come on let's go on to the next room.

"Okay…" He murmured, but didn't move.

"Someone's whispering behind there." He told us, moving toward the veil.

I shivered. There was something very wrong about that archway, I could feel it.

"Harry come on!" I cried. "Nobody else hears anything let's just go, okay?"

"I hear it too," Luna said in her creepy Luna way. "There are people in there."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I snapped. "This isn't the time for your psychotic theories Luna! It's a veil, and behind the other side of the veil is the rest of the room. People couldn't be hiding behind that veil, we can see right past it! Harry, come on! Let's get out of this stupid room!"

Harry cleared his throat. "Addie's right, let's go."

The next door we tried was locked and charmed so that even _Alohomora_ couldn't work. Harry had moved easily through all the doors in his dreams so we decided, it probably wasn't that one and moved on to the next.

Harry slowly pushed open the next door and gasped, "This is it!"

I hurried to look over his shoulder and saw a room filled with shimmering, dancing lights. I blinked a few times to become accustomed to the lights and slowly followed Harry into the room. Once inside, Harry knew exactly where he was going. He walked so quickly that it was hard to keep up with him.

"Look!" Ginny cried pointing to my left.

I looked over and saw a large, crystal bell jar that looked like it was filled with crystal wind. Inside if were tiny, sparkling, round balls. To my amazement a bird slowly crept out of the jar and then got sucked back in again. I was about to go help it when —

"Keep going!" Harry called.

"This is it," Harry said. "It's through here—"

I followed him anxiously. When we got to wherever Harry was taking us we would be fighting against full fledged Death Eaters, and, even more frightening, the Dark Lord himself. As much as I could tell myself that I could handle it and that I would come out okay. The chances were that I wouldn't.

_I could die right now._ I thought_. My friends could watch me die, or worse…I could watch them die…_

"Row Ninety-Seven." He told us and flew down the rows.

I watched the numbers fly by me as I hurriedly followed Harry.

Fifty-Three

Sixty

Seventy-five

Eighty-three

Ninety-six

"He's right down at the end!" Harry said, without a hint of fright.

I tensed even more and pulled out my wand, "Here goes nothing."

"Harry?" Hermione said.

"What?" He snapped.

"I…I don't think Sirius is here."

She had, in fact, stated the obvious. Nowhere, as far as I could see, was there any sign of Sirius, the Dark Lord, or whatever Death Eaters he undoubtedly would bring along. Harry ran down row ninety-seven and back.

"Harry—" Ron began, staring at one of the dusty shelves.

"What?" He snapped.

"Harry—it's got your name on it—"

Harry quickly walked up behind him, and stared at the small glass sphere which Ron had indicated.

"S.P.T to A.P.W.B.D….Dark Lord….and…Harry Potter…" He read out loud.

We all stayed quiet, none quite sure what that meant.

"Don't touch it Harry." I warned as he reached out to grab it from the shelf.

I had a feeling, much like the one I had with the arch, that the sphere was nothing but trouble.

"It's got my name on it." Harry said.

He quickly snatched the dusty glass ball off the shelf and began to inspect it. For the millionth time that night, I tensed. I waited for something to happen…for the room to shake…something. But nothing came. Just silence. And then—

"Very good, Potter. Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give that to me." A voice said, a voice that I knew immediately as Lucius Malfoy's.


	26. The Greatest Loss

I spun around only to come face to face with Lucius Malfoy. He looked just like his son. I grimaced at the thought of my last encounter with Draco. Dark figures began to emerge from the shadows. They were wearing long black cloaks with hoods that hid their faces. All of them had their wands pointed directly at our hearts as Mr. Malfoy repeated, "To me, Potter,"

Harry's eyes darted from right to left. I quickly counted the Death Eaters; we were outnumbered two to one. I gulped. This was it. I was going to die. I was going to die and no good would come out of it. I felt hot tears rising into my eyes but I forced them back down. I planted my feet firmly on the ground and trust my hand into my pocket containing my wand. If I was going to go, I was going to go down fighting.

"To me," Mr. Malfoy repeated. His eyes glistened through the eyes of his cloak. I could imagine the smirk that was appearing on his pointed face. I gripped my wand harder.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry demanded.

The Death Eaters laughed. A high pitched female voice came from one of the hoods to my left, "The Dark Lord always knows."

"Always," Lucius Malfoy laughed. "Now, give me the prophecy, Potter."

Prophecy? What in the hell was Lucius Malfoy talking about? I always knew he was crazy, but he was never one to ramble…

"I want to know where Sirius is!" cried Harry.

The woman mimicked him, making her voice even higher.

The Death Eaters had begun to close in. I had locked eyes with the woman and I knew. When it finally came to fighting that I would go for her. Her high pitched voice annoyed me…she had to go…

"You've got him," Harry insisted. "He's here. I know he is."

The woman mimicked Harry again, "The little baby woke up frightened and thought what he dreamed was true,"

I decided that I would use the Boulbastros curse on her (it causes you to grow large, painful, boils all over your face and private areas) I smiled. Yes, the Boulbastros curse would do nicely.

"Don't do anything." Harry muttered to Ron. "Not yet—"

This caused the woman to shriek with laughter, as if she couldn't get anymore irritating. I gritted my teeth as I watched her mock Harry. She threw her head back and laughed. "You hear him? Giving instructions to the other children as though they're going to fight us!"

My grip tightened, once more around my wand. I hated being called a child. I hated the way the woman laughed. I hated the way her dark eyes glistened hungrily through the hood of her cloak. I hated the way she mocked and underestimated us. I hated her.

"He has a great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands this about him. Now give me the prophecy, Potter."

"I know Sirius is here," Harry cried. "I know you've got him."

The irritating woman laughed again.

"It's time you learned the difference between life and dreams, Potter," Mr. Malfoy laughed. "Now give me the prophecy, or we start using wands."

Wands? Would they really try to hurt a bunch of kids? Of course they would. They were Death Eaters. They didn't care who they hurt as long as Voldemort got what he wanted in the end. For a moment I averted my gaze from the woman to who I knew to be Lucius Malfoy. A feeling of disgust and rage surged through my body. I hat sat at dinner with him. I had spent nights over at his house. I had been in love with his son.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by Lucius Malfoy crying out, "Do not attack! We need the prophecy!"

"Filthy half-blood!" The woman shrieked.

"So" A mischievous smile spread across Harry's face, "you still haven't told me what's so special about this prophecy I'm supposed to be handing over."

Malfoy laughed. "Don't play games with us, Potter."

"I'm not." Harry replied simply, tossing the prophecy up and catching it as if it were a baseball.

"You mean Dumbledore never told you that the reason you bear that scar was hidden in the bowels of the Department of Mysteries?" Malfoy sounded almost excited at the news.

"What about my scar?" Harry demanded, nearly forgetting to catch the prophecy.

"Can this be?" Malfoy laughed delightedly.

"Dumbledore never told you?" Malfoy laughed again. "Well this explains why you didn't come earlier, the Dark Lord wondered—"

I noticed Harry whispering to Hermione at the corner of his mouth. As soon as he turned to talk to Lucius again I stepped in a bit closer to Hermione.

"What did he say?" I whispered so quietly I could barely hear myself.

"When Harry says go" Hermione's voice quavered. "We're going to attack."

My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach. We were going to attack the Death Eaters? How could we even survive? They were much older than we were, and not to mention fully trained wizards. How could we take them on ourselves?

But I didn't have time to think on it for much longer…

"NOW!" Harry yelled and I quickly pulled out the wand I had been gripping from the moment we entered the department.

"_IMPEDIMENTA!_" I cried at the first Death Eater that came into my view. Any plan I had made before that moment had completely vanished, and all I knew was that if I made one wrong move, I was done for.

Shelves were exploding and I could hear the cries of my friends, and enemies as curses flew all around me. I had to act quickly. I heard Harry yell "RUN" and I made a move toward his voice. I found myself in a dark room filled with small, floating objects. I could hear my friends outside, fighting for their lives, but I stayed put.

"Can I do this?" I thought aloud. "Can I give up my life for my friends?"

Hermione's face swarmed into my mind. The pensive look she always seemed to be wearing, her bushy hair, the look of panic she got whenever Harry was going to do something dumb. She was so pretty without even knowing it. I was surprised no one noticed.

Then another face came to mind. Ron had noticed Hermione's beauty. Even though they were at each others throats most of the time; it was obvious how he felt for her. His messy red hair always looked so cute, and his funny sarcasm could always lighten a tense mood.

"I bet he's not joking now." I said. "I bet he's wondering where I am. I bet Harry's wondering…"

The appearance of Harry's face in my mind made my heart leap. So cute in a geeky kind of way; with his messy hair, and glasses that couldn't possibly take away from the beauty of his eyes. He was out there fighting for his life, and mine. And where was I? Cowering in an undiscovered room.

"Yes," I said confidently, "I can fight for my friends."

"Too bad you won't get a chance to." A cool voice said, slowly opening the door.

Lucius Malfoy lowered his hood. "Lovely little hideout you got here."

He sneered. "Too bad you never go the chance to 'fight for your friends', maybe some other time."

I whipped out my wand. "What are you going to do to me."

"Oh I could never harm you." Malfoy smiled. "My son is much too fond of you. Overly attached you might say. I think I'll bring you home as a present…yes…you would make a lovely gift for Draco…"

"I would rather DIE than go with you!" I cried.

"Well dear," He laughed, "You don't really have a choice."

He raised his wand, "_IMPER_—"

"_STUPEFY_!" I screamed before he could finish the spell. Malfoy went flying across the wall into a nearby wall. I ran out through another door and found myself face-to-face with Ron.

"Where have you been?" He asked, slightly out of breath. He had a deep gash on his forehead and was limping slightly.

"Back in that room over there." I motioned to the door I had just come out of. "I had a little run in with Lucius Malfoy, we'd better get out of here he'll be waking up soon and I doubt he'll be in a good mood."

"I'll take your word for it." He said as we ventured cautiously into another room.

There was a loud cry and I spun to my left. Harry, Neville, and Hermione were staring at a large Death Eater who had apparently, had his head switched with that of a babies.

"HARRY YOU CAN'T HURT A BABY!" Hermione cried when he raised his wand.

Before anyone in the room could comment on this, footsteps were heard outside the door. Harry went out one door and I made a motion to follow him, but Ron took my hand, "Let's go in here."

As soon as we stepped into the room I recognized it immediately. It was the one with all of the floating brains.

I heard a scream from the far corner and saw Ginny slumped over in the corner of a wall, and a Death Eater was moving in.

"_PETRIFICUS TOTALIS_!" I screamed.

The Death Eater froze, and another emerged from a corner.

He yelled something at Ron, who developed an odd serene look on his face and started to laugh. Luna popped out of nowhere and hit him with a redactor curse and blew up a model of Pluto in his face and he fell to the ground.

Almost immediately the door opened again and Harry rushed in.

"Ginny!" He cried, running toward her. "Ginny are you okay?"

"I think she broke her ankle." Luna quivered. "I heard something crack, but otherwise she's okay. Thanks to Addie that is…"

Harry quickly turned around to look at me. He ran over to my corner of the room and grabbed my shoulders.

"Are you okay?" He asked making looking into my eyes, "Did any of them hurt you."

"A few scratches and a possibly emotionally scaring encounter with Lucius Malfoy, but I'm otherwise unharmed." I smiled.

"Ron on the other hand" I nodded in his direction, "may need some tending to."

Harry turned his head to look at Ron who giggled, "We saw Uranus Harry! Ha-ha…Uranus…"

"What happened to him?" He asked me still not letting go of my arms.

"I don't know." I shrugged, "but it made him go all funny."

"We need to get out of here." Harry commanded, "Luna can you watch Ginny?"

"Yes" She replied timidly.

"It's only my ankle I can do it myself!" Ginny cried, trying to stand up, but failing.

Harry grabbed Ron and pulled him to the door.

There was a loud shriek from a woman, "THEY'RE HERE!"

And a bang as a spell from Harry smashed three people into a wall.

I rushed to Harry to see the Death Eaters were closing in on us.

Someone hit Luna with a spell that sent her flying across the room. I rushed over to help, but I felt a cold arm slip around my stomach, as the other pocketed my wand.

"We meet again." Lucius Malfoy whispered in my ear.

"Let go of me!" I said through gritted teeth.

Harry hadn't yet noticed that I had been captured. Ron, who was still under the influence of some kind of spell, had summoned a brain out of the tank and was now struggling against its tentacles.

"HARRY THEY'LL SUFFOCATE HIM!" Ginny yelled.

I struggled against Lucius's grip, but it was no use, he had me.

Harry left Neville to free Ron and ran out of the room holding the prophecy high above his head, hoping that it would deter the Death Eaters attention. Malfoy bound my arms and we followed fast after Harry, into the room with the stone archway, where he halted.

Malfoy's grip around my middle tightened as he pointed his wand at Harry.

"Now be a good boy and give me the prophecy."

"Let the others go and I'll give it to you."

"HARRY DON'T!" I cried.

Malfoy roughly pulled on my arms, "You are not in a position to bargain, Potter." He laughed, "There are ten of us, and one of you."

"He's dot alone!" Neville cried, appearing above us. His nose was bleeding badly and his lip was swelling.

"Neville!" I exclaimed, again to be pulled, a bit harder, back by Lucius Malfoy.

"Longbottom is it?" He said coolly.

"Longbottom?" The woman said, her face now revealed. I recognized her immediately. She was Bellatrix Lestrang. "Why, I have had the pleasure of meeting your parents, boy…"

"I DOE YOU HAVE!" He cried, fighting against his captors.

"Let's see how long Longbottom lasts before he cracks like his parents…unless…Potter wants to do something about it?"

"DON'D GIB ID DO DEM!" He cried, "DON'D DO ID HARRY!"

Bellatrix raised her wand. "_Crucio!_"

"NO!" I screamed as Neville's legs drew up to his chest and he cried out in pain.

Harry spun around and his eyes widened at the sight of me, being held by Lucius.

"LET HER GO!" He screamed.

"Oh no," Lucius laughed, "That's not an option. She's coming home with me, and Draco."

"NO!" Harry cried, "LET HER GO NOW, MALFOY OR I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU!"

Malfoy thrust my body in front of his. Hot tears fell down my face as I watched Harry lower his raised wand.

"Do it Potter." Malfoy laughed placing his chin on my shoulder, "I just hope you don't miss…because then…"

He slid a long finger across my throat. "You're little girlfriend goes bye-bye."

Harry's eyes widened in horror and he gulped. "Let her go, and I'll give you the prophecy."

"Harry d—don't…" My voice quivered, "I'm n—not worth t—that…"

He looked up at me, his eyes meeting mine, and said quietly, "You're worth everything."

"Isn't that precious." Malfoy cooed, "Potter willing to risk everything for the beautiful Addie White. Too bad you'll never see her again after tonight. She's coming back to Malfoy Manor with me where she can make my son Draco very happy."

He spun me around to face him and looked me up and down, "Very, very happy…"

"LET HER GO!" A voice roared above us.

High above us, two doors burst open and Sirius, Lupin, Moody, Tonks, Kingsley, and my mother leapt into the room.

I had to act quickly. As Lucius raised his wand to fight I grabbed mine out of his pocket and kicked him, hard. Harry sprinted up toward me and unbound my arms and I pointed my wand at the back of Malfoy's neck.

"I'm nobody's gift." I whispered. "_Expelliarmus_!"

Lucius flew across the room, down the stone steps and landed hard.

Harry and I both ran to get Neville, who we found hurt, but still okay.

The floor exploded in font of us and before I knew it Harry was being choked by a tall, male Death Eater.

"THE PROPHECY!" He cried.

I quickly raised my wand. "Let him go!" I said through gritted teeth.

He moved Harry in front of him just as Lucius had done with me. "Can you afford to miss?" He asked.

I raised my wand a bit higher and smiled. "I never miss…STUPFY!"

I hit the man right in his left eye and he dropped Harry.

"NICE ONE!" Sirius yelled.

"HARRY! ADDIE! TAKE THE PROPHECY, GRAB NEVILLE AND RUN!" He instructed.

We did as he said and dragged Neville out of the room. Neville's legs could not support him and we were running for our lives as Death Eaters were trying to attack from every inch. Then, it happened…

The prophecy smashed.

A pearly white figure rose out of it but with all the smashed I could not make out what she said. In a few moments she dissolved, and we were all left staring at the small bits of smashed glass on the floor.

"Dubbledore!" Neville cried.

We all turned to see Dumbledore, speeding down the steps above us, his wand high above his head.

None of the Death Eater made a move, and that's when I finally realized the sheer power of Albus Dumbledore.

The only people still fighting were Sirius and Bellatrix Lestrang. I smiled in spite of myself; Sirius almost looked like he was having fun.

"Come on, you can do better than that!" He laughed as Bellatrix sent a stream of red light past him.

Then a second stream of light hit him right in the chest.

I dropped Neville's legs and turned. I heard my mother scream and I watched him fall, helplessly through the ragged veil of the old stone arch.

"DAD!" I screamed, jumping down the stone steps after Harry.

I watched him fall through the archway. I had to get there. I had to help him. I saw my mother fall to her knees. She wasn't crying. She wasn't screaming, but her face said it all…

No. I thought. He's not dead. He can't be dead.

I watched Remus Lupin pull Harry back from the veil and my world stopped.

"It's too late, Harry. There's nothing you can do…nothing…He's gone."


	27. A Battle Won

Harry was screaming as Lupin pulled him back from the veil.

My mother dropped to her knees in silence. She was shaking all over, but her eyes were fixated on the place where Sirius had fallen.

As for me? I didn't need anyone to hold me back. I couldn't move. I don't remember crying, all I remember is the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. A feeling that I

had just lost something, but I wouldn't fully appreciate the loss until later.

I'd only had a father for a few short months, and I had never fully enjoyed him. Did he even hear me call him dad right before he fell through the veil? I had only had one, real, one-on-one conversation with him before he was taken away.

Perfect Addie White with her perfect life, wasn't so perfect anymore.

A flash of white light sped right by my face and hit a Death Eater squarely in the chest. Reality hit me quickly and I was immediately on guard for my own life again.

I took one last look at the veil in front of me and whispered, "I'll come out of this alive dad. I'll come out of this alive for you."

I turned to look toward the middle of the room. Dumbledore had rounded up most of the death eater's and bound them together with a red rope. Then I saw Harry. He sprint past me toward a dark figure in the corner of the room. It was Bellatrix Lestrang, my second cousin, and my father's murderer.

Harry raced forward bellowing, "SHE KILLED SIRIUS! SHE KILLED HIM!"

I don't know exactly what came over me, but next thing I knew I was chasing after him, as he and Bellatrix ran through room after room. I watched him in the shadows as he ducked spells, and tried to perform an Unforgivable Curse on Bellatrix.

I stayed a good distance behind them, so that I wouldn't be spotted. If Harry needed my help then I would spring into action, but I knew otherwise he needed to fight this on his own.

As much as I hated to admit it, Sirius was more Harry's father than mine. Harry had known him since his third year, and Sirius loved Harry like a son. They had had many conversations and letters between the two. I'd had one awkward conversation with the man after finding out he was my father a few months before his untimely death. I didn't have any letters to remember him by, or any fond memories of times we had spent together.

Harry and Bellatrix were screaming at each other. She had finally learned the truth, that the prophecy had been smashed, and was begging Lord Voldemort to forgive her.

"Don't waste your breath!" Harry yelled, grabbing his scar, and screwing up his face with pain. "He can't hear you!"

"Can't I Potter?" A cold, high voice appeared out of nowhere and a body slowly materialized

My breath caught up in my throat. Voldemort, Lord Voldemort, was standing only a few feet away from me. He was oddly tall and almost deathly thin. His face wasn't quite human, and reminded me eerily of a snake. His eyes were like slits and he was staring directly at Harry, his wand pointed at his heart.

Harry clutched his scar in pain as Voldemort spoke to him. He was eerily calm as he spoke with Harry. It was almost as though they were mutual friends meeting up over coffee. Bellatrix, or 'Bella', as he called her begged for forgiveness but Voldemort shot her down.

"I have nothing more to say to you, Potter.," Lord Voldemort announced finally. "You have irked me too often, for too long, _AVADA KEDAVRA_!"

In two words my world shattered. The green light from his wand went speeding toward Harry. His eyes were wide, waiting for death to strike him. Then, a miracle, Dumbledore burst onto the scene out of nowhere and the wizard from the Fountain of Magical Brethren jumped out of its place and deflected the spell.

"Dumbledore!" Voldemort exclaimed, a flicker of what seemed like fear in his snaky eyes.

Another green light shot from Volemort's wand toward Dumbledore, who dissaparated and re-appeared behind him.

"It was foolish to come here tonight, Tom," Dumbledore said quietly. "The Aurors are on their way."

"And in that time you will be dead and I will have escaped!" Voldemort spat.

I slowly edged my way toward Harry, trying not to draw any attention to myself.

"Are you okay?" I whispered once I had reached him.

"I mean—I know you're not okay but—are you hurt?" I stammered.

He rubbed his scar, still staring at the duel between Voldemort and Dumbledore. "My scar kind of hurts…"

Dumbledore only needed to flick his wrist to conjure shields so powerful that they could deflect Voldemort's spells. I watched in awe as the two most powerful wizards in the world dueled.

"He sure is great," I whispered as Dumbledore blocked another spell with ease.

"Yea…" Harry replied, "really amazing…"

"There is nothing worse than death, Dumbledore," Voldemort spat.

"You are quite wrong," Dumbledore replied. "Indeed, your failure to understand that there are things much worse than death has always been your greatest weakness—"

Dumbledore held up his wand. A long thin flame wrapped itself around Voldemort. Suddenly, the fire became a serpent which turned to face Dumbledore. Voldemort too this moment to vanish, as the snake took aim to strike.

Voldemort reappeared standing above Dumbledore, and took aim with another killing curse. Out of nowhere a phoenix flew towards Dumbledore and swallowed the curse whole. Dumbledore turned and made the snake disappear, but in this time, so did Voldemort.

He had gotten away.

"Stay where you are!" Dumbledore called as Harry made a motion to move from behind the golden statue which had saved his life.

Suddenly, Harry got very rigid. His hand, which had been tightly holding mine, got cold and he wrenched it away.

"Kill me now, Dumbledore…" He said in a hollow voice.

I couldn't believe it. What was he doing? How could he say that?

"H—Harry—w—what--?"

"If death is nothing, Dumbledore, kill the boy…"

"Harry!" I cried. "Harry stop it you're scaring me!"

There were several loud popping noises and out of the corner of my eye I could see that people had begun to apparate all around the Atrium. They all quickly turned on the fires in the fireplaces, and stood in awe at what was going on before them. Harry was shaking so violently I had to struggle to hold him up.

Then Harry fell to his knees, his glasses fell off his face as he began convulsing on the floor. I quickly bent down and tried to calm him, but as suddenly as it had all happened, it stopped.

"Harry! Harry are you okay?" I asked, resting his head in my lap and handing him his glasses.

"Yes, Harry are you alright?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes," He replied, still shaking very violently. "Where's Voldemort? Who are all these people?"

Harry's eyes darted all over the room as Ministry wizards stood staring in disbelief.

"He was there!" Shouted a man with a ponytail. "I saw him, Minister, it was You-Know-Who!"

"Yes," Fudge said quietly, "yes, I saw him too."

I felt a slight satisfaction that finally Fudge had been proven wrong. Now he too would have to come to terms with the truth I had been dealing with since my mother received a letter from Remus Lupin asking her to join the order.

Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat, "If you proceed downstairs to the Department of Mysteries you will find several escaped Death Eaters contained in the Death Chamber bound by and Anti-Disapparation Jinx and awaiting your decision on what to do with them. "

But instead of just listening to Dumbledore, Fudge looked angry, "Seize him!"

"I'm ready to fight your men, and win again, Cornelius!" Dumbledore said loudly. "But you saw what happened here. Lord Voldemort has returned. It is time you listen to me!"

Fudge muttered a few words and looked around helplessly at the rest of the Ministry members, "Very well—Dawlish! Williamson! Go down to the DOM and see…Dumbledore…you will need to tell me exactly…"

"We can talk after Harry and all my students are safely returned to Hogwarts."

"Harry Potter?" Fudge asked dumbly. "What's all this about?"

"I shall explain everything, later.," Dumbledore repeated.

Dumbledore walked toward the fountain and muttered a spell.

"You haven't got authorization for a portkey!" Fudge cried.

"You will give orders to remove Dolores Umbridge from my school," Dumbledore instructed Fudge. "You will tell you Aurors to stop searching for Rubeus Hagrid so that he can return to work and I will give you…thirty minutes of my time."

Fudge could not seem to find words to express his anger.

"Take this you two," Dumbledore said to Harry and I, handing us the head of the wizard from the statue.

"I shall see you in a half an hour."

He counted down from three and a strange sensation came over me. It was like I was being pulled by my bellybutton, alongside Harry. I could sense that I was going very fast but I didn't feel like I was moving at all. Suddenly, Harry and I landed with a thud in Dumbledore's office.


	28. Numb the Pain

As Harry and I both hit the ground my knees buckled with the force of impact, but Harry helped me stand. We had landed in Dumbledore's office. We both stayed silent. I wanted to turn to Harry. I wanted to tell him that I knew how much Sirius meant to him and that I was sorry. I wanted to tell him that Sirius would be proud of what he did down in the Department of Mysteries. I wanted to tell him that I loved him more than anything in the world.

I really knew I loved him now. I knew it the moment I thought Voldemort was going to kill him. I knew that if Harry died, that I died with him. I knew that I never wanted to be with any other boy again. I knew I would wait for him for the rest of my life. I knew that that I wasn't complete without him in my life.

But this wasn't the time, or place, to say any of that.

I slowly glanced over at Harry. A silent tear was falling down his cheek as he stared determinedly at the sleeping portrait of a past headmaster. He was deep in thought. I could only imagine what he was thinking. But then again, I already knew.

He was blaming himself for Sirius's death. He was saying how he should have listened to Hermione. He was thinking how if he had learned Occlumency then none of this would have happened. And as much as I hated to admit it, I was thinking that to. Why didn't Harry just learn Occlumency? Why did he have to be so proud? Why didn't he listen to Hermione?

Then a nasty voice popped into my head. _Ah, but you didn't listen to Hermione either._

It was true. I had yelled at Hermione when she suggested that what Harry saw was a trick of Voldemort's. I had been just as eager to go save Sirius as Harry was. He was no more to blame than I was.

"Ah…Harry Potter…and my great-great-great granddaughter…."

I spun around to see a painting of an older man with a harsh face. Under the portrait was a name, Phineas Nigellus.

Harry had turned to face him to. His face showed a look of contempt as he stared at the smug expression of the man in the painting.

"What bring you here so early in the morning?" He asked in a wheezy voice. "Has Dumbledore sent you here? Or…" He chuckled, "is it another message from my worthless great-great-grandson."

It only took me a moment to do the math. I had never heard of this 'Phineas Nigellus' before but if I was his great-great-great granddaughter, and Harry was known to bring news of his great-great-grandson, it could only mean one thing…

Sirius

A few more portraits began to wake and Harry crossed the room to leave. He pulled at the doorknob only to realize that we were locked in. He turned to face the rest of the portraits, but did not look at me.

One portrait asked if Dumbledore would be returning and Harry nodded dully.

"Dumbledore thinks very highly of you, as I'm sure you know," one portrait of a fat older man said. "He holds you in great esteem."

Harry shifted uncomfortably and I caught his eye. I smiled weakly and said, "He has good reason."

The tender moment was ruined, however, by a blast of green flames from the fireplace. Harry and I both leapt away from the fireplace as Dumbledore came tumbling out. He stood up and brushed himself off. He walked toward the door where Harry was standing and pulled out a featherless, disgusting, baby bird, and placed it inside an ornate gold birdcage.

"Addie," He smiled weakly. "You have done enough for us tonight. As soon as you leave this room go straight to Madame Promfrey. All your friends are there, and I'm sure you'll be delighted to hear nobody will suffer any lasting damage from what happened tonight, though Nymphadora Tonks may need to spend some time at St.Mungo's."

I smiled and said, "Thank you."

I made my way to the door, which, had magically unlocked and shot one last look at Harry before closing the door behind me. There was nobody in the halls, which was to be expected at such an early hour of the morning. I quickly made my way to the Hospital Wing only to realize that I had injured my leg. In all the excitement I hadn't noticed the large tear in my right leg that was oozing blood. I limped up to see Madame Promfrey and as soon as I got there she had me lay down.

"Oh my dear!" She exclaimed rushing over to help me into a cot. "How did you get all the way here from the headmaster's office with a leg like that?"

I merely shrugged as she handed me a flask filled with a thick silver liquid.

"Drink this," She urged. "It will numb the pain."

"Thank you…" I murmured, sipping from the flask.

My leg was still throbbing painfully. I slipped my hand under the blankets to rub the wound, and almost instantly the pain melted away and I had a strange feeling that the wound was healing itself.

"There," She said taking the glass from me. "That's better isn't it? It's not really anything, just a claming potion to help you with your nerves…"

"But my cut just healed," I said quietly. "You must have given me something to make my cut heal."

Madam Pomfrey looked at me strangely, "No, no that was only a calming draught…"

"But then how—"

"Never you mind! Now why don't you try to get some rest, most of your friends fell right asleep, but if you require any Sleeping Draught I'll hurry down to Severus's office and get you some."

My friends? I quickly looked around me to se that all the cots to my left and right were filled. Neville was snoring lightly to my left with a thick, pink substance smeared over his bloated lip, and Hermione was to my right, her wounds bandaged, and her leg elevated.

I rested my head down on the soft, white pillow and murmured, "I can sleep on my own."

Madame Promfrey turned out the light and I listened to her footsteps as she walked out of the room. I wondered what Harry was doing with Dumbledore. What could the possibly be talking about? Were the speaking of Sirius's death?

_No_. I thought stubbornly. _Dumbledore would have included me in a conversation like that. _

They must have been talking about something else. Something more important than Sirius's death, though I couldn't imagine what. Whatever it was it involved only Harry and Dumbledore, but I was sure he would tell us all in the morning.

The thoughts that were buzzing through my brain were all deafened by my need to sleep, and before I knew it I had fallen into an uninterrupted, dreamless sleep.

xxx

I'm not sure for how long I was asleep, but when I awoke I saw Hermione sitting up on my right, and a little further down the row Ron was sitting with his legs draped over the side of his cot.

"Good Afternoon," She said cheerfully.

"Afternoon?" I asked drearily, wiping the sleep from my eyes.

"Yep," Ron chuckled. "Don't worry, we only just woke up as well."

"Did Harry come by in the night?" I asked.

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances. "No"

"Last I saw him he was in Dumbledore's office," I yawned. "I guess he just left from there."

"I don't reckon he wanted to see anyone after…" Ron looked at me nervously and trailed off.

"After Sirius dying?" I said quietly. "No…I guess not…"

"I'm so sorry Addie," Hermione said comfortingly. "I'm sorry you had to lose your dad."

"I didn't even know him," I murmured. "I'd only had one real conversation with him in my life."

"I'm sure he loved you," Hermione said. "You were his daughter."

I smiled a little. "Yeah…his daughter…"

"_The Daily Prophet _arrived this morning," Hermione said, hastily changing the subject. "I thought you might find it amusing."

'HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED RETURNES'

I skimmed the article. It didn't say anything I didn't know already except that Dumbledore had been reinstated as Headmaster, member of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Chief Warlock of Wizengamot. It also mentioned Harry as 'the boy who lived' instead of 'the boy who made up crazy stories'.

"So I guess Harry's everyone's favorite super hero again.," I sighed, tossing the paper back over to Hermione.

"Yep," She laughed. "But I doubt he'll be as fond of them."

Over the course of the afternoon all of our friends woke up from their sleep. We made some forced conversation, but each of us had a lot on our minds. I just decided it was better not to talk about what had happened the night before. It was better not to talk about Sirius, or Voldemort, or Harry.

Harry finally came to visit us at around five o'clock that evening and we all huddled together to read him the article in the Daily Prophet. Ginny's ankle had been mended rather quickly had curled up at the foot of Hermione's bed. Neville's lips and nose had been restored to their usual size, and had pulled a chair between Ron and Hermione's beds. Luna didn't require a stay in the hospital but had dropped by with the latest Quibbler and was reading it upside-down.

We all flipped through the Daily Prophet, laughing at the hypocrisy of it all. None of us dared to venture into a real conversation about what had happened the night before. And for just one moment, even though the world was falling apart around us, we were just a group of friends having a good time.


	29. The End

Hermione, Ron and I had not been able to go back to school so Ginny informed us of what was going on. Fred and George's swamp had been removed by Flitwick but he had left a small portion yet because it was an example of a very good bit of magic. The twins had sent Ron a large basket of chocolate frogs two days after our arrival to the hospital wing, so we all supposed they were doing quite well with their joke shop.

Professor Umbridge, who had been rescued from the forest by Dumbledore, was in a bed opposite us staring up at the ceiling. She had not said a single word since her return to the castle, not that anyone minded. Firenze and Trelawney were both scheduled to teach Divination now that Dumbledore was back, because Firenze would never be able to return to the centaurs after what he had done.

"The whole subject's useless if you ask me…" Ron said, popping a chocolate frog into his mouth.

"How can you say that?" Hermione demanded. "After we've just found out about real prophecies?"

I glanced over at Harry. He had suddenly tensed up and his mouth was drooping into a frown. His eyes had regained that far off look they got when he was very deep in thought. He suddenly stood up and made his way out of the room.

"Where are you going?" I called after him.

"Hagrids," He replied. "He just got back and I promised I'd go see him and tell him how you guys are doing…"

He left the room in a hurry and sped down the hall. As the door slammed shut I turned around to the rest of my friends.

"Anyone here believe that?" I asked them.

"Not for a minute…" Ron said staring at the door, "But what are we gonna do? He wants to go…he goes…"

"Maybe talking about the prophecies upset him…" Hermione said thoughtfully.

"I don't know," I shrugged, "But I'm going to find out."

I hopped off the bed and pulled on my pink sneakers. Madame Promfrey had told me that morning that I was free to leave, but not to strain my leg. I tied the laces tightly and sped toward the door. My leg felt very weak and kind of wobbly and I soon had to stop running and start limping.

"What are you doing?" Hermione called after me.

"Something I should have done a long time ago." I answered, and closed the door behind me.

Ever since I had entered the hospital wing, all I could think about was Harry. The year was almost over, and we might go the whole summer without ever seeing each other. I knew things at home were going to be rough with my mother because of Sirius, so I needed to know. I needed to know if Harry felt the same way about me as I did about him. I needed to know if I was just wasting my time or if there was something real between us. I limped down the hall hoping that I could catch up with Harry before he met up with anyone else.

As I passed the large stone windows I saw my classmates outside, playing in the sun. I wished that life could go back to being the simple. I wished I could go back to being the arrogant, bitchy, self centered, care free person I was before I had come here. I didn't care about anyone but myself and everything I did was for entertainment purposes only. But now I had Harry, and Harry was everything.

I rounded the corner toward the large front doors and found myself face-to-face with Draco Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.

"Well well well," He laughed. "Look who we have here."

"Out of my way boys I don't have the time or energy to deal with you three," I replied coolly, but they continued to block my path.

"You could have had everything Addie," Malfoy said quietly. "You could have had me, Malfoy manor, everything."

I raised one eyebrow, "You have a very warped view of the world Malfoy."

"The truth is Addie," Malfoy sighed. "I'm not going to give up on you. I will fight for you Addie, and if you would refrain from trying to stop me, I'm sure you would be very happy."

He stepped closer towards me, and I rolled my eyes.

"The truth is, Malfoy, I hate you. If you could please refrain from living, I'm sure everyone would be very happy."

I pushed my way passed him and limped towards the door.

"This isn't over Addie!" Malfoy called after me. "I will have you!"

"Yeah okay Malfoy!" I called back, pushing the large front doors open and giving him the one finger salute.

"Now back to finding Harry…" I mumbled.

I stepped out into the sunlight and looked around. It was hard to spot a tiny, black haired, bespectacled boy in the sea of Hogwarts students roaming about the grounds, but my ability to pick Harry out of a crowed had been fine tuned over the course of the year. I spotted him coming out of Hagrid's hut and sitting alone on a rock near the lake. I hobbled as fast as I could down toward the lake. As I passed some students stopped and whispered. Lee Jordan waved cheerfully at me and I muttered a greeting back. I was a girl on a mission, and nobody could distract me.

"Harry!" I called when I'd gotten within earshot of him.

He turned around, just a little bit, and smiled. "Hi Addie."

I plopped myself down on the rock next to him. The giant squid was floating lazily across the top of the lake, and the beginnings of summer hung in the air. Students from year one to year seven had all come outside to bask in the sunlight and make some of their final memories of the year. Harry shifted uncomfortably as I sat down next to him, and averted his eyes from my gaze.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked quietly.

"Take a wild guess…" He replied sullenly.

"Look, Harry, I know you're upset…and if you wanna talk about it…I'm here…but if you don't…"I trailed off. I was losing my nerve. How could I possibly tell Harry all the things I felt for him? How could I possibly make him understand?

He turned to look at me. A light breeze swept through his shaggy black hair, and he breathed in deeply.

"If there was anyone I could talk about Sirius with, it would be you Addie." His gaze was not averted now; he was looking directly at me.

I nervously put my hand on his. "I'm glad to hear that Harry, but Sirius isn't the reason I came to talk to you…"

"What else is there to talk about?" He asked. "All I can think about is Sirius…"

Could he really be this dumb? Was he still oblivious to the way I was looking at him, the way I had been looking at him for the past months?

"Harry Potter," I sighed, "you are possibly the dumbest boy I have ever met."

He whirled around to face me. "Well thanks Addie, I needed that."

"When I first met you Harry I thought you were the most self-pitying, annoying, jerk to ever walk on this earth," I began.

"Thanks…" He muttered.

I held up a hand to shush him. "No, let me finish. I really hated you Harry. I thought you were the worst. But now…now that I've gotten to know you…I don't hate you…not even one tiny bit. When I thought that Voldemort was gong to kill you, it was like he was going to kill me, Harry. When I first stepped into the Great Hall to be sorted I never once thought that over the course of the year I would fall in love, but I did Harry, I fell in love with you."

The next few seconds was the most excruciating few seconds of my life. Harry was looking at me with a strange, dreamy look in his eyes that I had never seen him with before. He slowly slid his hand across the boulder we were sitting on and grabbed mine.

"Addie, I've loved you from that first time you told me to shut up," He smiled. "You're the only person around who actually puts me in my place when I'm being a jerk. You never cared about who I was or what had been said about me in the _Prophet_ because you had been in the same place as me. And even though sometimes you can be a self centered, egotistical—"

"Oh shut up Harry," I laughed, and embraced him in our very first kiss. It almost took me by surprise that it had happened. His arm slid across my lower back and my hand ruffled through his already untidy hair.

Everyone in the courtyard was staring at us when the kiss finally ended, but neither of us cared. Harry suddenly took both of my hands in his and whispered, "Before we go any farther with this…there's something I need to tell you."

"What?" I asked him. The urgency in his eyes told me it was important.

"The prophecy…the one about me…" He began, "Dumbledore told me last night…it foretold that either I will kill Voldemort or he will kill me, we both can't live together."

"S—so y—you're going to have to k—kill him?" I asked, tears flinging to my eyes.

How was Harry, a fifteen year old wizard, supposed to destroy the most powerful wizard in the world?

"Either that, or he will kill me," He replied solemnly.

We both sat in silence for a moment, trying to take in what was just said. This revelation affected everything. Harry would have to kill Voldemort, or be killed himself. I didn't think I could survive if Harry wasn't around. I didn't know what to do or say, I just sat, tears streaming down my face.

"Addie," He said. "I think we should wait."

"What?" I cried. "Wait for what Harry! Just because we aren't dating doesn't mean I'll care about you less! If you get hurt, whether we're dating or not, I'll still feel terrible!"

"I know," He replied. "But if Voldemort knows I have feelings for you, he might try to hurt you, and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I was responsible for your death. My parents' death was my fault, and Sirius', if you got added to that list; well…I don't know what I'd do…"

"Harry," I said quickly. "Listen to me, your parents death, Sirius's death, all those deaths are Voldemort's fault, not yours, don't blame yourself for what he has done."

"Addie, do you understand why I want to wait?" Harry said.

I looked down at my sneakers. Of course I understood why he wanted me to wait. If I was in his situation I would be asking him the same thing, but that didn't mean I was happy about it.

"Yes, Harry," I mumbled. "I understand."

Harry laughed. "Funny, I'm the first boy to ever turn down Addie White."

I jumped up, "You did not turn me down Harry I-don't-know-your-middle-name Potter! You put me on hold! There is a difference!"

"Whatever you say, Addie," He laughed, standing up and shaking his head, "Whatever you say…"

"You know what!" I cried with mock anger. "I don't need you. I'm going to go back to the castle. And don't you dare think about following me."

I scrambled off the boulder and made my way towards the front doors. "

"It's James!" Harry cried after me.

"What?" I raised an eyebrow.

"My middle name, it's James." He said.

"Oh…right…"

xxx

The last day of school came more quickly than expected. The whole school had heard of my little 'get together' with Harry in the courtyard, and though Ron and Hermione probably had very well developed opinions on the matter, they said nothing. It was well understood by everyone that we were not, in fact, dating though, of course, none of them knew why. My first ride on the Hogwarts express was rather uneventful, aside from hexing Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle as they tried to attack Harry in our compartment.

As the looming feeling of three months at home started to set in, I couldn't help but feel like I might have the most miserable summer of my life. My father, who I hadn't thought about for quite some time, was dead, and my mother was sure to be a wreck about it. Harry, the newly professed love of my life, could quite possibly die at the hands of the most powerful wizard on earth. I was officially on the Malfoy's hit list, and my self-healing leg had developed an ugly scar.

The food trolley stopped by and I filled my pockets with chocolate frogs, and Drooble's Best Blowing Gum. Harry, Ron, and I took turns playing wizard chess most of the way home, only to be interrupted by Hermione reading portions of _The Prophet_.

"Hey, Harry," Ron said nodding at a figure down the corridor.

Cho Chang was passing by our compartment with Marietta whose face had not yet recovered from Hermione's curse. She looked at Harry for a moment, then turned away angrily and stormed down the corridor.

"So I guess you two are over then huh?" Ron asked dumbly.

"Yeah," Harry laughed, shooting me a look, "We're done."

"Well I heard she's err…found someone new…" We all turned to face her.

"Who?" I asked. "And why didn't I hear about it first?"

"Michael Corner," Hermione told us.

"Ginny's Michael Corner?" We all turned to face Ginny, who looked down from the top of The Quibbler.

"Not my Michael Corner anymore, he got upset when Gryffindor beat Ravenclaw at Quidditch so I ditched him and he ran off to comfort Cho."

"He was ugly anyway…" I shrugged. "You can do better."

"Well I've chosen Dean Thomas, is he better?" Ginny asked.

"Oh my gosh, he is _so_ better!" I squealed. I love other people's relationships.

"WHAT?" Ron cried, knocking over the chessboard.

"Ron," I sighed. "Don't be an idiot. Ginny's hot, there's nothing you can do about it."

Ron opened his mouth to speak, but said nothing.

The train slowed down and came to a halt at King's Cross. I had never thought I would ever hate coming home as much as I did. I didn't want to go home and spend the rest of my summer with my mother who would be a constant reminder as to what happened in the Department of Mysteries. I didn't want to have to go for months without seeing Harry or Ron or Hermione. I didn't want to go home.

We got off the train and I looked around. "So…where is everyone?" I asked.

"Through the barrier…" Ron said looking around for something.

We made our way toward a long line of students waiting at what seemed to be, and ordinary platform barrier.

"I don't see anyone," I said. "And why is everyone lined up at that wall?"

Harry suddenly burst out laughing.

"What?" I asked stubbornly.

"You've never gone through the barrier at platform nine and three quarters." At this revelation Ron, and Hermione both burst out laughing too.

"What the hell is Platform nine and three quarters?" I asked looking around. "And stop laughing at me!"

We were slowly approaching the front of the line, and I still had no idea what was going on.

"I'll go with you." Harry said, taking my hand.

"Go with me WHERE!" I yelled.

I turned to ask Ron and Hermione, but they were gone, and so was their luggage.

"What the f—"

"You're up!" A man in an official looking uniform said.

"Up to do what?" I asked again.

"Take my hand, close your eyes, and trust me," Harry said.

I did as I was told.

"If this is a joke Potter I swear I'll—"

Suddenly, he yanked me in the direction of the wall I kept expecting to hit it, but I never did.

"Open your eyes," He laughed.

I did, and looked around. A whole other side of the station had appeared. Also, Mad Eye Moody, My mother (dressed in black), Tonks, Lupin, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Fred, and…

_Oh no…_ I thought. _It's George._

Our eyes met and he smiled.

"A vision of loveliness," He said.

"Ah, the same old George Weasley I see…" I laughed. As I looked him up and down I noticed that he, and Fred, were wearing brand new Dragon hide jackets. "Well, the same George Weasley, with a much more expensive wardrobe."

"Business is booming," Fred said. "Thought we'd treat ourselves."

"That you did," I laughed.

Harry suddenly came up behind me and said. "Addie, I think your mom wants you over there."

I turned around to see my mother, talking animatedly with Professor Lupin, she obviously didn't care at all about leaving, but I noticed Harry shooting George suspicious looks.

_Oh you've got to be kidding me…_ I thought.

"Good to see you again, Fred, George," I smiled.

"Always lovely to see you miss Addie," They said in unison, sweeping into a low bow.

I giggled and walked over toward Ginny and Hermione.

"Well, goodbye ladies," I said embracing them both in a hug.

"Promise you'll write?" Hermione asked.

"Are you kidding me? Things are going to be hell at home, you're lucky if I don't hop on a broomstick and fly up to your house tomorrow." I joked.

"That would be difficult considering you don't know where I live." Hermione replied.

"True…" I said.

"Well, you're welcome at the burrow anytime!" Ginny said. "Right mum?"

"Oh, yes, of course dear," Mrs. Weasley smiled. "Though I expect we'll be seeing you very soon."

I turned around and threw my arms around Ron. "You'd better write me Weasley."

"Well when you ask like that…" He smiled.

"I'll see you soon," I said, and with one last hug, turned to say the hardest goodbye of all.

"Harry!" I called, running up to him as he was walking away with three people who must have been his Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin.

All four of them turned around, but Harry was the only one who looked happy about the delay.

I rushed over to him and threw my arms around his neck. "If you don't write, I'll come get you."

"Is that a promise?" He muttered.

"Definitely," I smiled

"I'll write you two letters every day, how about that?" He asked.

"Only two?" I smiled.

"A boy only has so much parchment."

I hugged him one last time. "I'm gonna miss you, Potter…"

"I'll miss you too Addie."

I let go of him and struggled with the tears I could feel rising in my eyes. I looked over Harry's shoulder to see his Aunt and Uncle, staring at us impatiently, and his monster of a cousin, who was looking at me with increasing interest.

I smiled at them once and said. "Bye Harry…"

I turned on my heels and walked toward my mother, who was waiting impatiently to get me home. I never would have thought when I first walked up those Hogwarts steps, that a year like this one would await me. I never would have thought the first time I saw Harry sulking in the Great Hall, that I would love him. But then again, who would have?


End file.
